Australian Bureau of Statistics
Locked Bag 10 | Belconnen ACT 2616


FOI Ref: 202425/18

Name: CR
e-mail: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx

Dear CR,
RE: YOUR FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST [FOI202425/18]
I refer to your request submitted 01 October 2024 for access to documents under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) relating to:
1.  The most recent 30 notices of charges issued to FOI applicants.
For each of these 30 requests, if applicable, please also provide:
2. Any subsequent decisions regarding charges following applicant contention.
3. Any subsequent decisions regarding charges following internal or external review.
The time period for my request is from 1 July 2022 to 1 October 2024.

A copy of your full request can be found in Attachment A.
Response to Your Request
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act. The ABS has conducted a search for
documents relating to your request. I am able to notify you that 15 documents were identified that
relate to your request. I have decided to grant access to 15 documents in part.
I have added a schedule of documents in Attachment B. The documents being released under FOI can be
found in Attachment C.
Section 22 – Irrelevant to Request
I have decided that all documents contain some information that is irrelevant to your request. These
documents contain material which is out of scope of the request.
Decision and Reasons for Decision
I have taken the following into account in making my decision:
•  Email correspondence between yourself and the FOI team.
•  The content of the documents that fall in scope of your request.
•  The views of the document authors and other relevant facts.
•  The relevant provisions of the FOI Act, specifically s22 of the FOI Act.
•  Guidelines issued by the Australian Information Commissioner under s93A of the FOI Act.

Charges
There is no charge for this request.
Internal Review of the Decision
Section 54 of the FOI Act gives you the right to apply for an internal review of the decision by the ABS.
Additionally you may request a review of this decision by the Information Commissioner. Details of both
procedures involved in an application to review a decision are set out at Attachment D.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.

Yours sincerely,

Melissa Gare
A/g Program Manager
Legislative Compliance and Parliamentary Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
01 November 2024

ATTACHMENT A
    Basics
"Adam Horrigan"
09/10/2024 09:48 AM
xxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
Send
To "Policy & Legislation Section WDB" <xxxxxx.xxx.xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxx.xxx@xxx.xxx.xx>
cc
bcc
Subject
FW: Acknowledgement of your FOI request ABS reference: [FOI202425/18] [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Protective Mark
OFFICIAL
Information
    Caveat

management
Personal privacy
Legal privilege
Legislative secrecy
NATIONAL-CABINET
markers
Categories
Freedom of Information\Requests\Valid\2024/25
FULL HEADER
VER=2018.4, NS=gov.au, SEC=OFFICIAL, ORIGIN=xxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
-----Original Message-----
From: CR <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 8, 2024 9:28 PM
To: Adam Horrigan <xxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx>
Subject: Re: Acknowledgement of your FOI request ABS reference: [FOI202425/18]
[SEC=OFFICIAL]
******************************************************************************
**********************
   CAUTION:  External email.  Do not click links or open attachments unless
you recognise the sender
   and know the content is safe
******************************************************************************
**********************
Dear FOI Officer,
I am writing to amend the scope of my FOI request to assist with its
processing.

As I wish to access only recent charge decisions, I have introduced a time
frame and clarified the exclusions. I confirm the revised scope of my request
as follows:
1. The most recent 30 notices of charges issued to FOI applicants.
For each of these 30 requests, if applicable, please also provide:
2. Any subsequent decisions regarding charges following applicant contention.
3. Any subsequent decisions regarding charges following internal or external
review.
The time period for my request is from 1 July 2022 to 1 October 2024.
Please exclude the following information:
i) Personal information of FOI applicants, including supporting evidence or
details of personal circumstances in a financial hardship contention.
ii) Emails that attached the charges notices/decision letters.
iii) Names and contact details of non-Senior Executive public servants, and
the mobile phone numbers of Senior Executive public servants.
iv) Draft versions of documents.
v) Duplicate documents.
Please feel free to contact me if you require any clarification or have
further questions regarding this request.
Yours sincerely,

CR
-----Original Message-----
Dear CR,
I refer to your application in which you seek access to documents under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act)(ABS reference FOI
202425/18) regarding:
"1. The most recent 30 notices of charges issued to FOI applicants.
For each of these 30 requests, if applicable, please also provide:
2. Any subsequent decisions regarding charges following applicant
contention.
3. Any subsequent decisions regarding charges following internal or
external review."
I acknowledge your request for the personal information of FOI applicants
to be excluded.
Your request was received by the ABS on 01/10/2024 and the 30-day
statutory period for processing your request commenced from the day after
that date.
Before I commence processing your request can you please confirm the
following via return e-mail:

  1. Whether you agree to the names and contact details of non-Senior
Executive public servants, and the mobile phone numbers of Senior
Executive public servants being excluded from the scope of this
request;
  2. Where there are a number of drafts of a document, whether you are
seeking access to those drafts, or only the final version of documents
(this includes the latest version where no 'final' version was
issued);
  3. Where there are duplicate documents, whether you agree to exclude them
from the scope of this request.
     It is ABS policy to impose charges consistent with section 29 of the
FOI Act.  We will inform you of our decision in this respect once we have
conducted a search for documents.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns
regarding this email.
Kind regards
Lucinda Brown
Policy Officer
Policy and Legislation Section | Legislative Compliance and Parliamentary
Branch | Australian Bureau of Statistics
(E) [1][email address]  (W)  [2]www.abs.gov.au
References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]%20
2. http://www.abs.gov.au/
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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message
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https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.righttok
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Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be
delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager
to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

ATTACHMENT B

FOI202425/18

Document Number
Release Status
Exemptions/Redactions Applied

1
Released in part

S22

2
Released in part

S22
3
Released in part
S22
4
Released in part
S22
5
Released in part
S22
6
Released in part
S22
7
Released in part
S22
8
Released in part
S22
9
Released in part
S22
10
Released in part
S22
11
Released in part
S22
12
Released in part
S22
13
Released in part
S22
14
Released in part
S22
15
Released in part
S22

Document 1
ATTACHMENT C

                      FOI Ref: FOI202324/24

Name:  S22

e-mail: S22

Dear  S22 ,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 29 April 2024 ( S22
) in which you sought access to information under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents and decision making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $1,121.20.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$450
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 30 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20
$671.20
per hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages
and pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  33.56 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$1,121.20
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
Released under FOI Act
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
Locked Bag 10, Belconnen ACT 2616
Telephone: 1300 135 070 | www.abs.gov.au

The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
charges for your request, which is $1,121.20, you will be required to pay a deposit of $280.30 before
work on your request commences.
Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:
•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
. In deciding whether to  reduce or not to impose a  charge,  I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22
Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Legislative Compliance and Parliamentary Branch
Released under FOI Act
Australian Bureau of Statistics

23/05/2024

Document 2

FOI Ref: FOI202324/24
Name:  S22


e-mail:  S22

Dear  S2
2
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 29 April 2024  S22
) in which you sought access to information under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents and decision making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $526.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$450
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 30 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $76.80
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  3.8 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$526.80
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
Released under FOI Act
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
Locked Bag 10, Belconnen ACT 2616
Telephone: 1300 135 070 | www.abs.gov.au

charges for your request, which is $526, you will be required to pay a deposit of $131.70 before
work on your request commences.
Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:
•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22
Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Legislative Compliance and Parliamentary Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics

19/06/2024

Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2024 9:32 AM
To: S22
@abs.gov.au>
Subject: Re: Notification of charges for your FOI request FOI202324/24 [SEC=OFFICIAL]

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise
the sender and know the content is safe.
Good evening  S22

This appears to be an excessive charge for the scope I envisaged. Can you tell me more about what type of documents are
included in this that extends the processing time so significantly? Ministerial directives or briefs in relation to this would
appear to be fairly discrete documents and I would have thought the tests were finalised forms of surveys or something
along those lines.

Would appreciate some further information on how this processing has blown out so significantly.

S22
S22
Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 3

FOI Ref: 202324/14

S22

e-mail: S22

Dear  S22 ,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 28 November 2023  S22
in which you sought access to information
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents and decision making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $387.55.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$136.25
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 9.08 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $251.30
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  12.57 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$387.55
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Released under FOI Act
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
Locked Bag 10, Belconnen ACT 2616
Telephone: 1300 135 070 | www.abs.gov.au

The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
charges for your request, which is $387.55, you will be required to pay a deposit of $96.00 before
work on your request commences.
Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:
•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22
Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Legislative Compliance and Parliamentary Branch
Released under FOI Act
Australian Bureau of Statistics

16/01/2024

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 4
Canberra Office
Locked Bag 10
ABS House
Belconnen ACT 2616
45 Benjamin Way

Belconnen ACT 2617
www.abs.gov.au

Phone 1300 135 070
ABN 26 331 428 522

FOI Ref:  FOI202324/04
email:  S22

Dear S22
,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 28/08/23 at  S22
in which you sought access to information under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents and decision making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $406.00.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$229.00
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 15.30 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $177.00
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  8.84 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$406.00
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
Released under FOI Act
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
charges for your request, which is $406.00, you will be required to pay a deposit of $101.00 before
work on your request commences.

Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:
•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22
Deborah Wallace
A/g Program Manager
Legislative Compliance and Parliamentary Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
15 September 2023
Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 5

                                                                                                                          FOI Ref: FOI202324/03

S22

e-mail: S22

Dear  S22
,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 26 August 2023 at  S22
in which you sought access to information under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can be
levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations and are
for search and retrieval of documents and decision making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $118.00.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$108.00
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 7.2 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per hour   $10.00
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and pages
released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  0.5 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$118.00
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved in
processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which may
result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
Released under FOI Act
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit of up
to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of charges for
your request, which is $118.00, you will be required to pay a deposit of $29.50 before work on your request
commences.
Locked Bag 10, Belconnen ACT 2616
Telephone: 1300 135 070 | www.abs.gov.au

Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:
•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it will be
taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed (see
S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to consider
reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or person
on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests (other
than personal or business information that would be unreasonable to publish) on the ABS website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,

S22

Deborah Wallace
A/g Program Manager
Legislative Compliance and Parliamentary Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
2 October 2023
Released under FOI Act
Locked Bag 10, Belconnen ACT 2616
Telephone: 1300 135 070 | www.abs.gov.au

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 6
Canberra Office
Locked Bag 10
ABS House
Belconnen ACT 2616
45 Benjamin Way

Belconnen ACT 2617
www.abs.gov.au

Phone 1300 135 070
ABN 26 331 428 522

FOI Ref:  202223/22
email:  S22

lank
Dear  S22
,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 08 May 2023  S22
in which you sought access to information under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents, decision making and provision.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $545.00.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$226.00
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 15 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $319.00
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  16 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$545.00
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
Released under FOI Act
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
charges for your request, which is $545.00, you will be required to pay a deposit of $136.00 before
work on your request commences.
Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:

•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,

  S22

Duncan Young
General Manager
Enterprise Strategy and Communications Division
Australian Bureau of Statistics
01/06/2023
Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 7
Canberra Office
Locked Bag 10
ABS House
Belconnen ACT 2616
45 Benjamin Way

Belconnen ACT 2617
www.abs.gov.au

Phone 1300 135 070
ABN 26 331 428 522

FOI Ref:  FOI202223/21
email:  S22

Dear  S22 ,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 01 May 2023 ( S22
) in which you sought access to information under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents, decision making and provision.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $233.00.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$233.00
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 15.5 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $0.00
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  0 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$233.00
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
Released under FOI Act
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
charges for your request, which is $233.00, you will be required to pay a deposit of $58.00 before
work on your request commences.

Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:
•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22

Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Parliamentary, Policy & Planning Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
25/05/2023
Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 8
    Basics
" S22
"
21/06/2023 04:29 PM
S22
@abs.gov.au
Send
To "Policy & Legislation Section WDB " <xxxxxx.xxx.xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxx.xxx@xxx.xxx.xx>
cc
bcc
Subject
FW: Notification of Charges FOI 202223/21 [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Protective Mark
OFFICIAL
Information
  Caveat

management
Personal privacy
Legal privilege
Legislative secrecy
NATIONAL-CABINET
markers
Categories
Freedom of Information\Requests\Valid\2022/23

From:  S22
>
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2023 4:21 PM
To:  S22
@abs.gov.au>
Cc:  S22
@abs.gov.au>;  S22
@abs.gov.au>
Subject: Re: Notification of Charges FOI202223/21 [SEC=OFFICIAL]

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is
safe.
Hi  S22

Apologies for delay in getting back to you.

Hoping to contend the charges on the basis the estimated hours and quoted charge amount for these
Released under FOI Act
hours seems high for what is an already refined scope of the request. Additionally, the information
would be in the public interest. It's related to the rebrand of the BOM which was heavily covered by
media in recent months and was funded by taxpayers. This information would be used to create a

media report, on a news website without a paywall meaning it has a greater potential to reach and
benefit more Australia. In light of this information request being of such broad public benefit, I'm
hoping the fee can we waived or at least reduced.

Thanks
S2
2
S22
Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 9

Canberra Office
Locked Bag 10
ABS House
Belconnen ACT 2616
45 Benjamin Way

Belconnen ACT 2617
www.abs.gov.au

Phone 1300 135 070
ABN 26 331 428 522

FOI Ref: FOI202223/21

e-mail:  S22

Dear S22

RE: YOUR FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST [FOI202223/21]
I refer to your request submitted 01/05/2023 for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act) relating to:
"1. Documents sent by ABS Senior Executive Staff between 1 October 2022 and 1 May 2023 to the
Bureau of Meteorology expressing concerns regarding their name re-branding to 'The Bureau'.
2. For the same time period, documents sent internally between ABS SES related to the re-branding of
Bureau of Meteorology to 'The Bureau'."

Charges
On 25/05/2023 you were sent an estimate of charges letter, where you were informed the total charge for
your request was $233.00. On 21/06/2023 you responded to this letter, requesting a waiver or reduction on
the basis that:
“the estimated hours and quoted charge amount for these hours seems high for what is an already
refined scope of the request. Additionally, the information would be in the public interest. It's related
to the rebrand of the BOM which was heavily covered by media in recent months and was funded by
taxpayers. This information would be used to create a media report, on a news website without a
paywall meaning it has a greater potential to reach and benefit more Australia. In light of this
information request being of such broad public benefit, I'm hoping the fee can we waived or at least
reduced.”

Decision and Reasons for Decision
I have decided to grant you a full waiver of charges on the basis that the release is in the public interest.

Released under FOI Act

I have taken the following factors into account in making my decision to reduce or not impose the charges, in
line with section 29(5) of the FOI Act:
a)  whether the payment of the charge, or part of it, would cause financial hardship to you; and
b)  whether the giving of access to the document in question is in the general public interest or in
the interest of a substantial section of the public.

I have also taken the following factors into account in making my decision, in line with section 4.99 of the FOI
Guidelines:
•  Whether a commercial or personal benefit or advantage will be derived from giving access to the
material;
•  Whether the documents are of general public interest or of interest to a substantial section of the
public;
•  If the information in the documents is publicly available; and
•  Whether a substantial volume of documents has been requested and the level of work required to
process the request.

If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.

Yours sincerely,
S22

Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Parliamentary, Policy & Planning Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
27/06/2023

Released under FOI Act

Document 10
Canberra Office
Locked Bag 10
ABS House
Belconnen ACT 2616
45 Benjamin Way

Belconnen ACT 2617
www.abs.gov.au

Phone 1300 135 070
ABN 26 331 428 522

FOI Ref:  FOI202223/14
email:  S22

lank
Dear  S22
,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 30 January 2023 ( S22
) in which you sought access to information
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents, decision making and provision.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $355.00.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$214.00
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 14 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $141.00
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required: 7 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$355.00
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
Released under FOI Act
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
charges for your request, which is $355.00, you will be required to pay a deposit of $89 before work
on your request commences.
Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:

•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
In your initial request you indicated that you were seeking a waiver of charges. If you wish to proceed
with requesting a waiver, you should provide further explanation of the reasons for this. Reasons for
waiving  charges  include  financial  hardship,  public  interest  and  any  other  relevant  factors.  Further
information can be found in Part 4 of the FOI Guidelines (Part 4 — Charges for providing access - Home
(oaic.gov.au).
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22
Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Parliamentary, Policy & Planning Branch
Released under FOI Act
Australian Bureau of Statistics
17 February 2023

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 11
Canberra Office
Locked Bag 10
ABS House
Belconnen ACT 2616
45 Benjamin Way

Belconnen ACT 2617
www.abs.gov.au

Phone 1300 135 070
ABN 26 331 428 522

FOI Ref: 202223/11
email:  S22

Dear  S22

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 10 November 2022  S22
in which you sought access to information
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents and decision making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $97.13
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$49.13
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 3.28 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $48.00
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  2.40 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$97.13
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $25.00 and is less
Released under FOI Act
than $100.00, a deposit of $20.00 may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of charges for
your request, which is $97.13, you will be required to pay a deposit of $20.00 before work on your
request commences.
Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:

•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22

You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22
Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Parliamentary, Policy & Planning Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
22 November 2022
Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 12
    Basics
Policy & Legislation Section WDB
07/12/2022 10:46 AM
Sent by  S22
Send
To S22
S22
S22
cc
@abs.gov.au@M365,
@abs.gov.au@M365,
S22
@abs.gov.au@M365
bcc
Subject
Re: Waiver of charges for your FOI Request  (FOI202223/11) [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Protective Mark
OFFICIAL
Information
  Caveat

management
Personal privacy
Legal privilege
Legislative secrecy
NATIONAL-CABINET
markers
Categories
Freedom of Information\Requests\Valid\2022/23
Good morning  S22
Thank you for your email dated 2 December 2022 in which you requested a waiver of charges
for FOI202223/11 on the basis that the release of documents is in the public interest.
The ABS FOI decision maker has considered your request and has agreed to waive the
charges. We will continue to process your request which is now due on or before the 23rd of
December 2022.
Kind regards,
S22
Freedom of Information
Policy & Legislation Section | Parliamentary, Policy & Planning Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
(E)  S22
@abs.gov.au (W) www.abs.gov.au
Released under FOI Act
S22

S22
05/12/2022 11:40:40 AM

    Basics
S22

05/12/2022 11:40 AM
@abs.gov.au
Send
To "Policy & Legislation Section WDB " <xxxxxx.xxx.xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxx.xxx@xxx.xxx.xx>
cc
Subject
FW: FW: Notification of charges for your FOI Request  (FOI202223/11) [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Protective Mark
Information
  Caveat

management
Personal privacy
Legal privilege
Legislative secrecy
NATIONAL-CABINET
markers
Categories
Freedom of Information\Requests\Valid\2022/23
Visibility
Limited Readers
Editors
PALS WDB Access ,  S22
/Staff/ABS
Readers
PALS WDB Access , FOI Stakeholder Group,  S22
/Staff/ABS
Last modified
05/12/2022 12:49:09 PM  By   S22
/Staff/ABS
Document Id
DCOO-CLT2VD

From:  S22
< S22
>
Sent: Friday, 2 December 2022 4:36 PM
To:  S22
< S22
@abs.gov.au>
Cc:  S22
< S22
@abs.gov.au>;  S22
< S22
@abs.gov.au>
Subject: Re: FW: Notification of charges for your FOI Request (FOI202223/11) [SEC=OFFICIAL]

CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is
safe.
Released under FOI Act
Thanks  S22 .

No I didn't receive it so appreciate the follow up .

Senate Estimates proceedings are an essential part of the democratic process . Given
that Senate Estimates hearings are held in public to allow the Australian people to
observe the scrutiny of expenditure, functions and activities of governments , their
departments and agencies, it is in the public interest that information prepared for by
Departments in connection with these hearings be made publicly available .  As such, I
request that the charge be waived entirely on public interests grounds .

I note decision FOI21/046 from the Attorney-General's Department where the file was
provided, with appropriate redactions.

It is important to remember the objects of the FOI Act itself :

(1)  The objects of this Act are to give the Australian community access to information held by
the Government of the Commonwealth, by:

  (a)  requiring agencies to publish the information; and
  (b)  providing for a right of access to documents .

(2)  The Parliament intends, by these objects, to promote Australia's representative
democracy by contributing towards the following:

  (a)  increasing public participation in Government processes, with a view to
promoting better-informed decision-making;
  (b)  increasing scrutiny, discussion, comment and review of the Government's
activities.

Given the importance of the FOI Act in increasing public scrutiny and encouraging public
debate.

Look forward to hearing from you soon in relation to my request .

S22
S22
From:  S22
< S22
@abs.gov.au>
Released under FOI Act
Sent: Friday, December 2, 2022 1:14 PM
To:  S22
< S22
>
Cc:  S22
< S22
@abs.gov.au>;  S22
< S22
@abs.gov.au>;

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 13
Canberra Office
Locked Bag 10
ABS House
Belconnen ACT 2616
45 Benjamin Way

Belconnen ACT 2617
www.abs.gov.au

Phone 1300 135 070
ABN 26 331 428 522

FOI Ref:  202223/02
email:  S22

lank
Dear  S22 ,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 31 July 2022 ( S22
) in which you sought access to information under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents and decision making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $369.00.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$287.00
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 19 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $82.00
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  4 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$369.00
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
Released under FOI Act
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
charges for your request, which is $369.00, you will be required to pay a deposit of $92.00 before
work on your request commences.
Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:

•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22
Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Risk, Planning and Policy Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
25/08/2022
Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 14
Canberra Office
Locked Bag 10
ABS House
Belconnen ACT 2616
45 Benjamin Way

Belconnen ACT 2617
www.abs.gov.au

Phone 1300 135 070
ABN 26 331 428 522

FOI Ref:  202223/01
email:   S22

lank
Dear  S22
,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to your email of 7 July 2022 ( S22
) in which you sought access to information under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents and decision making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $929.00.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$540.00
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 36 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $389.00
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  19.5 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$929.00
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
Released under FOI Act
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
charges for your request, which is $929.00, you will be required to pay a deposit of $233.00 before
work on your request commences.
Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:

•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22
Deborah Wallace
A/g Program Manager
Risk, Planning and Policy Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
03 August 2022
Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

Document 15
Canberra Office
Locked Bag 10
ABS House
Belconnen ACT 2616
45 Benjamin Way

Belconnen ACT 2617
www.abs.gov.au

Phone 1300 135 070
ABN 26 331 428 522

FOI Ref:  202122/46
email: S22
,  S22
,  S22

Dear  S22
,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST:  ESTIMATE OF CHARGES
I refer to FOI request FOI202122/46 in which you sought access to information under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
The Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (the Regulations) prescribe that charges can
be levied in respect of a request for access to documents. These charges are set out by the Regulations
and are for search and retrieval of documents and decision-making.
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act, and 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 $365.00.
Search and retrieval – $15 per hour
$225.00
•  search of relevant ABS holdings
•  conversion of documents into a releasable format
Estimated number of hours spent in search and retrieval of documents: 15 hours
Decision-making (after deducting the first five hours which are free of charge) – $20 per  $140.00
hour
•  time spent by an agency preparing either a schedule of documents or a
recommendation for the authorised decision maker
•  examination of relevant pages for decision making (includes exempted pages and
pages released with redactions)
•  consultation with other parties
•  redacting exempt material
Estimated number of hours required:  7 hours (after the first five hours)
TOTAL CHARGE
$365.00
The charges set out in the above table are determined by the Regulations and reflect the work involved
in processing this request.
The charges are not indicative of the level of access that may be granted to the documents sought.
Some documents in scope of your request may be subject to exemptions under the FOI Act, which
may result in the ABS refusing you access to some of the documents.
The Regulations prescribe that where a charge is imposed and the charge exceeds $100.00, a deposit
Released under FOI Act
of up to 25 per cent of the estimated charges may be sought. Based on the preliminary estimate of
charges for your request, which is $365.00, you will be required to pay a deposit of $92.00 before
work on your request commences.

Within 30 days of receipt of this notice you are required to either:
•  pay a deposit with the remainder to be paid prior to receipt of documentation.
•  pay the charge.
•  contend the charge; or
•  withdraw your request.
If you fail to notify the ABS in a manner described above within 30 days of receipt of this notice, it
will be taken that you have withdrawn your request.
Options for payment are provided at  S22
.
You may contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed or should be reduced or not imposed
(see  S22
). In deciding whether to reduce or not to impose a charge, I have discretion to
consider reduction or remission of charges for any reason, including the following reasons:
•  the payment of the fee or a part of the fee would cause financial hardship to the applicant or
person on whose behalf the application was made; or
•  access is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public.
If you wish to contend the charges, you should give full reasons for doing so.
In accordance with section 31 of the FOI Act, the 30-day limit for processing your request is suspended
from the date of this notice. It resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required
deposit) or the day on which this agency decides not to impose a charge.
Consistent with the FOI Act, the ABS publishes all documents disclosed in response to FOI requests
(other  than  personal  or  business  information  that  would  be  unreasonable  to  publish)  on  the  ABS
website.
If you have any queries on this matter, please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,
S22
Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Risk, Planning and Policy Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics
08/07/2022
Released under FOI Act

S22
Released under FOI Act

ATTACHMENT D
INFORMATION ON RIGHTS OF REVIEW

1.    INTERNAL REVIEW OF DECISION
If you disagree with our decision you have the right to apply for an internal review under section
54 of the FOI Act.
Application for a review of the decision must be made within 30 days of receipt of this letter.
No particular form is required but it would assist the decision-maker if you set out in the
application the grounds on which you consider that the decision should be reviewed.
Application for an internal review of the decision should be e-mailed to
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or posted to:
ABS FOI Contact Officer
Policy  and  Legislation  Section
Australian Bureau of  Statistics
Locked Bag 10
BELCONNEN ACT 2617

2.    AUSTRALIAN INFORMATION COMMISSIONER REVIEW OF DECISION
Section 54L of the Act gives you the right to seek a review of the decision from the Information
Commissioner.  An application for review must be made within 60 days of receiving the decision.
Application for an Information Commissioner review of the decision should be e-mailed to
xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or posted to:
Director of FOI Dispute Resolution
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY  NSW  2001

3.    COMPLAINTS TO THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER
Section 70 of the Act provides that a person may complain to the Information Commissioner
about action taken by an agency in the exercise of powers or the performance of functions
under the Act.
A complaint to the Information Commissioner must be in writing and identify the agency the
complaint is about.  It should be e-mailed to xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or posted to:
Director of FOI Dispute Resolution
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY  NSW  2001
The Information Commissioner may decline to investigate the complaint in a number of
circumstances, including that you did not exercise your right to ask the agency, the
Information Commissioner, a court or tribunal to review the decision.

Document Outline