Thank you for contacting Knox City Council. This is an automated reply to
confirm that we received your message and it will be forwarded to a staff
member for action.

If you have an urgent request, please contact us by calling 9298 8000.

Please also see our Council website for a wide range of information and
services: www.knox.vic.gov.au

You can also visit one of our Customer Service Centres at the following
locations:

               •         511 Burwood Highway, Wantirna South, Victoria
3152

(Operating hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri: 8:30am-5:30pm, Tuesdays:
8:30am-8pm)

•         Shop 32A, Stud Park Shopping Centre, Stud Road, Rowville 3178

(Operating hours: 9am–5pm Mon-Fri)

Kind regards,

Knox City Council Customer Service

show quoted sections

PLEASE CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT BEFORE PRINTING THIS EMAIL

Good afternoon Troy

I refer to your application under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act), received 22 March 2016, requesting the following:

“Could I please be provided with a record of tree inspections and associated reports carried out by, and on behalf of, Knox City Council for Tamboon Drive, Rowville, 3178 Victoria. For the period 1 July 2013 through to 22 March 2016”

Please note that section 17(2a) of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act) requires an application fee of $27.20 accompany a request for access to documents. As this fee has not been provided, your application is not considered valid and cannot be processed.

If you are unable to pay the fee on the basis of hardship you may ask for a waiver or reduction of the statutory fee. You can do this by forwarding sufficient information for me to assess your eligibility, such as a copy of your current Health Care Card or Pension Card, if applicable.

Further, section 17(2) of the Act states that a request shall provide such detail as is reasonably necessary to enable an officer to identify the documents sought. Without first knowing the types of documents you require; it is not possible to perform a diligent or comprehensive search and thus be confident all relevant documents have been located.

I require further clarification on the term ‘associated reports’. The term 'associated' is ambiguous as it requires an officer to use their interpretation to establish whether a report in Council is associated with a tree inspection. After consultation with relevant staff I have established that the terms 'associated reports' could include, but is not limited to, the following documents:

• Reports or notes written during a street tree inspection; or
• Reports or notes written after a street tree inspection; or
• Correspondence from residents regarding a tree and requesting an inspection; or
• A planning report for a development application that may impact on a street tree; or
• Reports of any actions that occurred as a result of the inspection.

Should you wish to proceed with your application, I invite you to contact me with a view of clarifying your request so that it is in a form which complies with section 17 and provides the information necessary to enable Council officers to confidently identify the documents you require.

I can be contacted for this purpose, or if you have any other queries or concerns, by telephone on 9298 8014.

Please note that until your request is made in a manner required by the Act and accompanied by the prescribed fee, it cannot be processed and the 45 day time period within which Council must decide your application has not commenced.

Yours sincerely

Kirstin Ritchie

Governance Officer

Knox City Council

+61 3 9298 8014 | 511 Burwood Highway, Wantirna South, 3152
[email address] | www.knox.vic.gov.au

show quoted sections