11 Final assessment notice

(1) If a processing charge or access charge is payable in relation to an application, then, in the notice given under section 34 of the Act, the agency or Minister must give the applicant a written notice (a final assessment notice) stating—

(a) the agency’s or Minister’s final assessment of the amount of any processing charge or access charge; and

(b) the basis on which the final assessment is made.

(2) A final assessment notice may be given whether access is to be given immediately or subject to deferral.

(3) The amount of the processing charge mentioned in a final assessment notice may not be more than the amount of the processing charge mentioned in the preliminary assessment notice.

(4) The amount of the access charge mentioned in a final assessment notice may be more than the amount of the access charge mentioned in the preliminary assessment notice.

(5) If, after the final assessment notice is given, the applicant asks for an additional thing to be done in relation to the provision of access—

(a) the agency or Minister may give the applicant a new final assessment notice that increases the total amount of the access charge mentioned in the previous final assessment notice; and

(b) the applicant must pay the increase.

Example—
Assume the access charge mentioned in an agency’s final assessment notice is based on supervising the inspection by the applicant of documents for 2 hours. The applicant pays the access charge stated in the final assessment notice. At the inspection, the applicant wishes to continue the inspection for a further 2 hours and to obtain copies of some of the documents. The agency may give the applicant a new final assessment notice that increases the total amount of the access charge mentioned in the previous final assessment notice.