Fees for Applications and Complaints

A schedule of fees and charges has been established by Regulation.

Under the Information Act (section 156) fees charged by public sector organisations must be reasonable, and no fee is to be charged for time spent locating misplaced information.

The Institute may charge an application fee1 or processing fee2 and the Commissioner may charge a fee in relation to making a complaint.

The Institute or the Commissioner may waive or reduce a fee is they consider it appropriate. In waiving or reducing a fee, the Institute or the Commissioner must have regard for:

The circumstances of the application or the complaint, including any impecuniosities’ or indigence of the applicant or the complainant
Personal financial resources
The objects of the Act.

APPLICATION FEE

An agency may charge:

Nil – for an application relating to the applicant’s personal information
$30 – for an application relating to non-personal information

PROCESSING FEE

An agency may charge a processing fee equal to the total cost of the services and materials specified in the Schedule (see below) provided in reponse to an application.

The cost of a service or materials provided is the amount, or is calculated at the rate, specific in the Schedule (see below) opposite the service or materials.

DEPOSIT FOR PROCESSING FEE

An Agency may require an applicant to pay a deposit for a processing fee of:

25% if the processing fee is estimated to be $100 or less
50% of the estimate – if the processing fee is estimated to be more than $10
A fee in respect of making an application
A fee in respect of the time taken and the costs incurred by an agency in response to an application
The Regulations may prescribe:
- the amount of an application or processing fee; or the rate, formula or method to be used to calculate an application or processing fee
- the different amounts, rates, formulae or method for different government information or agencies, or classes of information or agencies
- provide for the estimation of application and processing fees provide for the recovery of unpaid application or processing fees
- prescribe the amount of a fee in relation to making a complaint Government information that is not the applicant’s personal information.

Services and Materials	Amounts and Rates
Searching for and retrieving information (but not misplaced information)	Personal information – Nil Non-personal information – $25 for every hour or part of an hour
Considering and making decision in relation to application (including consultation)	Personal information – Nil Non-personal information – $25 for every hour or part of an hour
Supervising examination of information by applicant	Personal information – first 2 hours – Nil – $25 for every hour, or part of an hour, over 2 hours. Non-personal information – $25 for every hour or part of an hour
Hiring out equipment or facilities to enable applicant to view or listen to disk, film or tape	Actual cost
Operating equipment to copy disk, film or tape or to enable applicant to view or listen to disk, film or tape	$25 for every hour or part of an hour
Other services to enable applicant to physically access information	Actual cost
Photocopies	Black and white, A4 size photocopies – 20 cents per page. Other photocopies – actual cost per page
Copies of disks, films or tapes	Actual cost per copy
Written transcripts	Actual cost per page
Packaging material for delivering or posting articles	Actual cost
Delivery or postage charges	Actual cost per article

Fees for Applications and Complaints

APPLICATION FEE

PROCESSING FEE

DEPOSIT FOR PROCESSING FEE

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