Freedom of Information (Fees and Charges) Amendment Regulations 2010 (No. 1)1

Select Legislative Instrument 2010 No. 269

I, QUENTIN BRYCE, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following Regulations under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

Dated 27 October 2010

QUENTIN BRYCE

Governor-General

By Her Excellency’s Command

BRENDAN O’CONNOR

Minister for Privacy and Freedom of Information

1 Name of Regulations

  These Regulations are the Freedom of Information (Fees and Charges) Amendment Regulations 2010 (No. 1).

2 Commencement

  These Regulations commence on 1 November 2010.

3 Amendment of Freedom of Information (Fees and Charges) Regulations

  Schedule 1 amends the Freedom of Information (Fees and Charges) Regulations.

4 Application

  The amendments made by Schedule 1 apply to requests for access made under section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 that are received after 31 October 2010.

Schedule 1 Amendments

(regulation 3)

[1] Regulation 1

substitute

1 Name of Regulations

  These Regulations are the Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 1982.

[2] Subregulation 3 (1)

omit

, other than an application fee

[3] Subregulation 3 (3)

omit

[4] Regulation 5

substitute

5 Charges not applicable in certain circumstances

 (1) There is no charge for a request for, or for the provision of, access to a document that contains information that is the personal information of the applicant.

 (2) There is no charge if:

 (a) an applicant has not been notified of a decision
on the request within the period mentioned in paragraph 15 (5) (b) of the Act; and

 (b) the period has not been extended under subsection 15 (6) or (8), section 15AA or subsection 15AB (2) of the Act.

 (3) There is no charge if:

 (a) the period for notification of a decision has been
extended under subsection 15 (6) or (8), section 15AA or subsection 15AB (2) of the Act; and

 (b) the applicant has not been notified of a decision on the request within the extended period.

 (4) In this regulation:

personal information has the same meaning as in subsection 4 (1) of the Act.

[5] Regulation 6

omit

[6] Paragraph 12 (1) (a)

omit

other than a charge or charges applicable by virtue of regulation 6 or 7

[7] Regulation 14

substitute

14 Deposit refund conditions

  A deposit paid by an applicant for a charge or charges, or any part of a deposit, will be refunded only if:

 (a) the agency or the Minister has decided, under section 29 of the Act, to reduce or not impose a charge; or

 (b) subregulation 5 (2) or (3) applies.

[8] Schedule, Part I, item 2

omit

2A or

[9] Schedule, Part I, item 2A

omit

[10] Schedule, Part I, item 5

after

section 54

insert

or 54A

[11] Schedule, Part I, item 5, column 3

substitute

[12] Schedule, Part I, item 6

omit

[13] Schedule, Part II, item 8

omit

at a place other than an Information Access Office

1. All legislative instruments and compilations are registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments kept under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. See http://www.frli.gov.au.