Notice that the applicant is liable to pay a charge (s 29)
Dear [applicant name]
Freedom of information request no. [Insert identifier number/code]
I refer to your request for access to documents relating to [subject of request] under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
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. I, [insert name, position], am an officer authorised under section 23(1) of the FOI Act to make decisions in relation to FOI requests.
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 [insert dollar amount]. 
Basis for my preliminary assessment of the charge
I have assessed the work [the Department/name of agency] would need to do to process your request and have calculated the following breakdown of charges: 
Document estimate 	
Number of relevant documents		
Number of relevant pages (or other size descriptor)		

PROCESSING CHARGES	
Search and retrieval	
Task	Time	Cost @ $15/hr	
Search and retrieval of relevant electronic and registry files			
Search and retrieval of relevant pages in file			
Preparation of schedule of documents			
A.	Search and retrieval subtotal			
Decision making	
Task	Time	Cost @ $20/hr	
Examination of documents			
Consultation with third parties 			
Preparation of documents for release 			
Preparation of notice of access decision			
Decision making subtotal (before deduction of 5 hours)			
B.	Decision making subtotal (after deduction of first 5 hours free)			

[Insert access and delivery charge items as necessary]
ACCESS AND DELIVERY CHARGES	
	No. of pages	Cost	
Transcription ($4.40/page)			
Photocopy ($0.10/page)			
Other copies ($4.40/page)			
		Cost 	
Electronic production (actual cost)			
Replay [replaying of sound or film] (actual cost)			
Delivery (actual cost)			
	Time	Cost 	
Inspection (@ $6.25 per half hour)			
C.	Access and delivery charges subtotal			

ESTIMATED TOTALS AND DEPOSIT	
ESTIMATED TOTAL (total of A, B and C)		
REQUIRED DEPOSIT		

[Section 29(1)(b) states that the charge notice must explain the ‘preliminary assessment of the charge and the basis on which the assessment is made.’ The itemised table of charges above (along with the basic data estimate) helps explain the basis of the charge. Agencies may also wish to provide:
•	an indication of the types of documents (for example, internal staff emails, executive briefs) that fall within the request (where this may help the applicant better understand the scope of their request and the reason for the charge)
•	an explanation of any figure in the breakdown of charges that is significant.]
Your right to contend the charge
Under the FOI Act, you have the right to contend that the charge:
•	has been wrongly assessed, or 
•	should be reduced, or 
•	should not be imposed. 
In deciding whether a charge should be reduced or not imposed, the decision maker in our agency must take into account: 
•	whether payment of the charge, or part of it, would cause you financial hardship
•	whether giving access to the document[s] is in the general public interest or in the interest of a substantial section of the public
•	any other relevant matter.
[Insert as applicable: Payment of a deposit 
[Choose one: As the charge exceeds $25, a deposit of $20 will be sought if the charge is imposed. /As the charge exceeds $100, a 25 per cent deposit ([insert exact amount]) will be sought if the charge is imposed.] 
The deposit is not refundable except in some limited circumstances (for example, if [the Department /name of agency] fails to make a decision on your request within the statutory time limit), or may be refundable in part if the final charge is less than the deposit paid]
[Insert directions on how to make deposit or full payment.]]
The time you have to respond and what you need to do
You have 30 days to respond in writing to this notice. We therefore expect a response from you by [insert date]. By that date, you must do one of the following things in writing:
•	agree to pay the charge (this will mean that you will not be entitled to access the requested documents until the full charge [insert if applicable: (other than any inspection charge)] is paid)
•	contend that the charge has been wrongly assessed, or should be reduced or not imposed and explain your reasons 
•	withdraw your request.
Please send your response to:
[insert appropriate agency postal/email address]
If you do not provide us with a written response by [insert date] your request will be taken to have been withdrawn. 
The period for processing your request is suspended from the day that you receive this notice and resumes on either the day you pay the charge (in full or the required deposit) or the day on which this agency makes a decision not to impose a charge.
Questions about this notice
If you have any questions or wish to discuss this notice with us, please contact the following officer:
	[Insert officer name, position and contact details]
[Optional (choose one): More information about charges under the FOI Act is available on the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/guidance-and-advice/calculating-and-imposing-charges-for-foi-access-requests/ and https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/guidance-and-advice/making-a-decision-on-an-foi-access-request/ and in the Guidelines issued by the Australian Information Commissioner under s 93A of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/foi-guidelines/part-4-charges-for-providing-access/ 
Yours sincerely