Attention: UD

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST – NOTIFICATION OF RECEIPT

I am writing to notify you that the Department of Health (Department) has received your request (in your below email) for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

The Department will take all reasonable steps to notify you of a decision no later than 30 calendar days after the date your request was received. You will be contacted where a charge is applied for processing your request or if we need to consult a third party.

Unless you advise otherwise, duplicate documents and Commonwealth employee names and contact details below Senior Executive Service level and mobile telephone numbers of all staff will be excluded from the scope of your request under s22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act.

You can contact the FOI Unit on (02) 6289 1666, or via email at [email address], should you have any enquiries.

Regards

FOI Officer
Ministerial, Parliamentary, Executive Support and Governance Branch
People, Capability and Communication Division
Australian Government Department of Health
T: (02) 6289 1666 | E: [Health request email]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.

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Dear UD,

 

I refer to your request of 29 May 2017 to the Department of Health
(Department), seeking access under the Freedom of Information Act 1982
(FOI Act) to:

 

“documents relating to the Taskforce on Hospital Funding co-ordinated by
Global Access Partners:

- agenda papers,

- minute papers, and

- attendance lists”

 

Notice of Third Party Consultation

 

It appears, from the documents to which you seek access, that a third
party may reasonably wish to make a contention concerning possible
exemption of some of the documents. I have, accordingly, determined that
the requirements of sections 26A, 27 and 27A makes it appropriate to
extend the time frame for dealing with your request.

 

Pursuant to section 15(6) of the FOI Act, the period for providing you
with a decision has been extended by a further period of 30 days. This
means that the Department must, not later than 60 calendar days after the
day on which your request was received, take all reasonable steps to
notify you of a decision on your request.

 

That period of 60 calendar days is, however, suspended by virtue of the
Notice of Liability to Pay a Charge below.

 

Notice of Liability to Pay a Charge

 

I am authorised under section 23(1) of the FOI Act to make decisions in
relation to freedom of information requests. I am writing to advise you of
my decision that you are liable to pay a charge in respect of the
processing of your request.

 

Preliminary Assessment

 

In accordance with section 29 of the FOI Act and the Freedom of
Information Charges Regulations 1982, my preliminary assessment of the
charge you are liable to pay is $932.15.

 

This has been calculated as follows:

 

search and retrieval time 5.07 hours @ $15.00 per hour $76.00
(including time spent locating
relevant files and collating
relevant documents contained on
those files)
decision making time (including 47.34 hours @ $20.00 per $946.75
time spent examining the documents, hour
considering exemptions, undertaking  
consultation, writing the decision  
and preparing any documents for ($100.00)
release) Less first 5 hours free
TOTAL $932.15

 

Deposit

 

I have also decided that you are required to pay a deposit of $233.00.
Payment of a deposit is taken as your authority to proceed with processing
of your request and your agreement to pay the full charge in which case
you will become liable to the Commonwealth for the full cost of processing
the charge.

 

Payment

 

The Department can accept credit card, money order or cheque payments.

 

If you choose to pay by cheque (personal or bank) or money order it should
be sent to the following:

FOI Unit (MDP 41)

Department of Health

GPO Box 9848

CANBERRA ACT 2601

 

If you wish to pay by credit card, please contact the Department’s FOI
unit on (02) 6289 1666 to be further advised.

 

Response

 

Under the FOI Act, you have 30 days to respond in writing to this notice.
You must, within 30 days after this notice is given, do one of the
following things in writing: (i) advise the Department that you agree to
pay the charge, (ii) advise the Department that you contend that the
charge has been wrongly assessed, or should be reduced or not imposed,
giving reasons for your contention, or (iii) advise the Department that
you withdraw the request for access to the documents concerned. Please
send your response to the above postal address or [1]this email address.
If you do not provide a response within 30 days, your freedom of
information request will be taken to have been withdrawn.

 

If you choose to make a contention that the charge should be reduced or
not imposed, the Department must, in making a decision on your contention,
take into account the matters set out in section 29(5) of the FOI Act or
any relevant matter.

 

Processing time

 

Processing of your request and counting the 60 calendar days are suspended
from the date you receive this notice and resume either when you pay the
deposit or when any contention you make about the charge has been
resolved.

 

Relevant provisions

 

The [2]FOI Act, including the provisions referred to in this letter, can
be accessed from the Federal Register of Legislation website.

 

If you require clarification of any of the matters discussed in this
letter you should contact the Department’s FOI Unit on (02) 62891666, or
by email at [3][email address].

 

 

Kind regards

 

 

FOI Director

[4]cid:image002.png@01D152AA.D704F7C0

Ministerial, Parliamentary, Executive Support and Governance Branch

People, Capability and Communication Division

Australian Government Department of Health

T: (02) 6289 1666 | E: [5][Health request email]

 

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

 

The Department of Health acknowledges the traditional owners of country
throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and
community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders
both past and present.

 

 

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