2 August 2024
FOI Ref 3663
Vincent Sheehy
By email: foi+request‐11645‐xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Mr Sheehy
Freedom of Information Request – Charges
I refer to your request to the Treasury on 8 July 2024 for access under the
Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (
FOI Act) to the following:
Consistent with the Freedom of Information Act 1982, I request all briefing materials
(including the issues brief index) prepared for Senate Estimates by the Housing Division
of Treasury for 2024‐25 Budget Estimates conducted from 28 May to 7 July 2024.
In accordance with section 29 of the FOI Act, I have decided that you are liable to pay a charge
in respect of the processing of your request. My preliminary assessment of the charge is
$200.25, based on the following calculations:
Item
Hours
Price
Search and retrieval already undertaken
3.30 hours
$49.50
Decision‐making, including:
First 5 hours (free)
$0.00
• Examination of relevant pages and deciding
whether to release or exempt
16.69 additional hours
$333.82
• The making of any necessary redactions (this
does not include the redaction of staff details)
• Preparation of a decision letter.
TOTAL
$383.32
Deposit (25% of total cost)
$95.83
These hourly charges have been calculated using the
Freedom of Information (Charges)
Regulations 2019 (the
FOI Regulations) to reflect the work involved in processing a request
Langton Crescent
Parkes ACT 2600
Australia
P: +61 2 6263 2800
and making a decision. However, any access you get to the documents will depend on the final
decision, and not the payment of charges.
What you need to do
You have 30 days to pay the charges. You can pay the charge in full, or pay a deposit of 25%
now and the remainder before you receive any documents. The attachment to this letter sets
out the payment options.
If you dispute the charge
Please contact the Treasury’s FOI team by emailing xxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xx and explain why the
charge has been wrongly assessed, why it should be reduced, or why there should be no
charge for your request.
Your email must include your reasons for disputing the charge. If you are requesting a
reduction in the charge, or that there be no charge, this includes information to help the
Treasury understand whether:
• the charge would cause financial hardship to you, or the person on whose behalf you made
the request, or
• giving access to the documents is in the general public interest, or in the interest of a
substantial section of the public.
The Treasury will then consider your email, and make a decision about whether or not to
reduce or remove the charge. You may still contest the charge after paying the charge in full,
or in part by deposit.
What happens next?
The statutory timeframe for processing your request is suspended until you pay the charge or
deposit, or until you receive a decision from the Treasury about removing the charge.
If you do not contact the Treasury or pay the charge or deposit
within 30 days of receiving this
letter, your request will be taken to have been withdrawn.
Third Party Consultation
I have identified third parties that might reasonably wish to make exemption contentions
pursuant to section 27a of the FOI Act (Commonwealth‐State relations).
The statutory timeframe for processing this request will be extended by 30 days to allow for
consultation to occur with these third parties.
Yours sincerely
Kerren Crosthwaite
First Assistant Secretary
Housing Division
2
Department of Treasury Payment Options
Customer Name:
Customer Address:
FOI Number:
Option 1: Bank Cheque or Australian Money Order – made out to “Collector of Public
Monies”
Attached
Option 2: Please debit my credit card as follows:
AMEX
VISA
Mastercard
Card Number
/
$
Expiry Date
CCV Number
Total Amount
Name on Card
Signature of card holder
Send your completed form:
by post to: FOI Officer, The Treasury, Langton Crescent, Parkes ACT
2600
or by Email to: xxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Office Use Only
File Number:
Trim Number:
Cost Centre:
GL Code:
Customer Number:
DAN Number:
3
