Elizabeth Tydd

Dreyfus: standalone commissioner roles mark a serious commitment by Labor to FOI and privacy, data protection, AI policy and governance.

The information request tools will include a statutory guideline on informal release pathways and templates for communicating with citizens.

Ombuds and information commissioners have issued a joint statement encouraging agencies to implement best practice for proactive disclosure. 

Privacy commissioners from around the nation have promised a consistent approach to accessing records of Stolen Generations survivors. 

The nation’s information commissioners are calling for consistent legislation to force governments and public bodies to proactively release information. 

The NSW information commissioner has reminded state government agencies of their responsibility in proactively delivering information to the public, after a new report identified low levels of compliance among departments.

Elizabeth Tydd and Samantha Gavel set out some of the common risks to information access and privacy rights across projects seeking funding from the DRF.

The Office of the New South Wales Premier did not breach the Government Information (Public Access) Act when a staffer destroyed records related to the $252 million Stronger Communities Fund, the state Information Commissioner has found.

There is also a fact sheet for citizens dealing with automated decision-making, digital government and preserving information access rights to ensure that citizens are aware of and can more effectively access information held in digital form.

The increasing adoption of technology demands the preservation, assurance and assertion of information access rights. The NSW Information Commissioner urges government agencies to ask three key questions when entering into these new arrangements.

The New South Wales Information Commissioner has reminded local councils of their obligation to publicly disclose their financial information, with a new information access guideline. It comes after several local councils announced plans to remove pecuniary interest registers from their websites.