Information Access Series: Access charges associated with processing FOI requests
Please join us on Wednesday 24 April 2024 between 12pm and 1pm for an Information Access Series (IAS) webinar, covering access charges associated with processing freedom of information (FOI) requests in Victoria.
OVIC regularly hosts these webinars for FOI practitioners from Victorian public sector agencies.
The April IAS will step through the considerations when deciding whether access charges apply and discuss best practice around estimating applicable access charges, calculating final access charge amounts in accordance with the FOI Act and Regulations and the process for notifying an applicant of estimated and actual access charges.
Agencies may impose access charges associated with processing an FOI request and providing access to documents, in accordance with section 22 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) and the Freedom of Information (Access Charges) Regulations 2014 (Regulations). There are number of circumstances in which an agency may and may not impose access charges, and there are exceptions where charges do not apply.
This session will further touch on the principles the OVIC Commissioner’s consider when deciding whether to issue an access charges certificate under section 50(1)(g) of the FOI Act to allow an applicant to seek review of access charges by VCAT.