news 2012

news 2011

 

news 2010

EOIs for the Information and Privacy Advisory Committee (IPAC) open

16 April 2012

Expressions of interest for part-time members of the IPAC are now being accepted. The IPAC is a new committee which is being established to advise both the Information Commissioner and the Privacy Commissioner on matters relating to the performance of their functions and to advise on matters referred by the Attorney General. The IPAC will also consider areas of overlap and interaction between privacy legislation and open government information. More information, including how to apply.

GIPA Amendment Act 2012 assented

20 March 2012

Government Information (Public Access) Amendment Act 2012 was passed in Parliament on 14 March 2012. The provisions of the Act came into effect on 19 March 2012. The GIPA Amendment Act makes minor changes to provisions of the GIPA Act. The OIC has prepared a knowledge update summarising the GIPA Act amendments to assist agencies prepare for the changes. Agencies should refer to the GIPA Amendment Bill and our knowledge update and ensure their practices and resources reflect the new changes to the GIPA Act when the amendment legislation commences. Our website will be updated to reflect the legislative changes on the date legislation commences.

Guideline 5: consultation on public interest considerations under section 54 of the GIPA Act

15 February 2012

The OIC has published Guideline 5 to promote greater consistency in the practice among agencies, and to resolve confusion about how, when and with whom to consult under section 54.

GIPA and privacy seminar resources

16 December 2011

The followng resources from the GIPA-privacy overlap seminar are available:

OIC begins publishing reports

1 December 2011

The OIC has begun publishing regular reports of the results of our reviews and investigations.

Commissioner welcomes State Plan commitment to accountability

15 November 2011

Information Commissioner Deirdre O’Donnell has confirmed her support for the NSW 2021 state plan’s objective of improving government transparency. Ms O’Donnell has outlined her commitment to the aims of goal 31 to achieve open government for NSW in a special message to agencies and the public… read more

Video message to GovCampNSW

11 November 2011

Watch a video message from the Information Commissioner Deirdre O'Donnell to GovCampNSW participants.

Annual report published

9 November 2011

The OIC's annual report for 2010-2011 has been tabled in the NSW Parliament. Read report

Commissioner to speak at GovCampNSW

3 November 2011

Information Commissioner Deirdre O'Donnell will champion open government at GovCampNSW on Saturday 19 November at the Australian Technology Park, Redfern.

Consultation begins on fees and charges

28 October 2011

The OIC has released a consultation paper seeking feedback from agencies on fees and charges relating to the GIPA Act. Feedback from members of the public, community organisations and the media is also welcome through an online survey... read more

Seminar series resources

6 September 2011

Resources from our seminar How to apply the public interest test are available online.  

OIC releases new health information fact sheet

29 August 2011

Read the new fact sheet on How to access your health information.

ADT submission published

2 August 2011

The Administrative Decisions Tribunal has made a decision about when it can make orders suppressing the identity of parties and publication of evidence.

GIPA tool report released

8 June 2011

The report  for version 2b practical demonstrations of the GIPA tool is released.

OIC releases Right to Information Roadshow metropolitan report

7 June 2011

The OIC has released the review report for the Right to Information Roadshow held in metropolitan Sydney. 

Seeking agency input on seminar series

1 June 2011

The OIC is seeking feedback from agency staff on their preferred topics for our new seminar series, due to begin in late July and run into 2012.

The two-hour seminars will be held every two months, with the structure incorporating small group discussions and activities wherever possible. Agency staff are encouraged to complete a survey for return to the OIC by Friday 17 June.

OIC releases Guideline 3

31 May 2011

A new Guideline and summary have been released to assist local councils in the publication on their websites of personal information related to development applications.

Copyright and compliance FAQs for local councils

26 May 2011

The OIC has developed FAQs for local councils on copyright and compliance under the GIPA Act. 

Good practice for disclosure logs

4 May 2011

The OIC has released a knowledge update  on Good practice for disclosure logs and has also revised the knowledge update on What is an agency?

Copyright and compliance

19 April 2011

The OIC has released a knowledge update on copyright and compliance under the GIPA Act.

New guidelines released

18 March 2011

The OIC has published guidelines to help local councils determine the public interest considerations for and against disclosure of information contained in the returns disclosing the interests of councillors and designated persons.

The following guideline explains how agencies may discount GIPA-related processing charges for information of special benefit to the public generally.

Information and Privacy Commission launched

10 January 2011

The launch of the Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) this month has strengthened information and privacy rights in New South Wales. The IPC brings together the Office of the Information Commissioner and Privacy New South Wales.

Download the media release for more information on the IPC.

OIC's first consultation paper launched at LGMA forum

12 November 2010

The Information Commissioner launched Consultation Paper 1: Development applications and personal information on websites - issues for local councils at the Local Government Managers Australia Governance Member Network Forum in Fairfield.

The OIC welcomes submissions from local councils and members of the public. The closing date for submissions is Friday 14 January 2011.

Download the consultation paper and summary.

Right to Information Roadshow - metropolitan program

10 November 2010

The OIC is taking the Right to Information Roadshow to greater Sydney. The schedule includes Parramatta on 23 November and Hornsby and Castle Hill on 6 December. In 2011 we'll be visiting Chatswood, Gosford, Katoomba and Sydney CBD. Come along and learn about your rights to government information in NSW.

Download the full program and presentation (to save: right-click on your mouse, select 'save target as')

First annual report published

1 November 2010

The OIC's first annual report is now available online. Download the report for a look at our activities and plans for the future.

GIPA tool training for agency staff

1 November 2010

Free training sessions on the GIPA case management and reporting tool will be held in Parramatta on 30 November and Sydney CBD on 1 December 2010.

The specialised training program will demonstrate how agency staff can use the tool to streamline the processing and reporting of GIPA applications both internally and to the OIC.

Available session times are 9.30am to 11am, 11.30am to 1pm, or 2pm to 3.30pm.

To register your interest, contact the OIC on 1800 INFOCOM (1800 463 626) or email oicinfo@oic.nsw.gov.au nominating your preferred location and time.

OIC and Privacy NSW to merge

21 September 2010

The New South Wales Parliament has passed legislation to merge the OIC and Privacy NSW into one agency.

The Privacy and Government Information Legislation Amendment Act 2010 establishes the Information and Privacy Commission, under which the Information Commissioner championing open government, and the Privacy Commissioner championing privacy, will carry out their roles.

The creation of this new agency will benefit members of the public and the media by providing greater access to government information in NSW, while protecting the privacy of individuals.

A commencement date for the Act is yet to be determined. A working group has been established to prepare for the creation of the new agency.

The merge will yield significant benefits for the people of NSW, protecting their privacy rights while at the same time promoting transparency and helping to hold government to account.

Government agencies will also benefit from the provision of consistent information and advice about privacy and access to information.

OIC and NSW Ombudsman sign MOU

13 August 2010

The Office of the Information Commissioner and the NSW Ombudsman have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

The MOU outlines arrangements for the exchange of information and consultation between the two agencies in accordance with the Ombudsman Act 1974 and the Government Information (Information Commissioner) Act 2009 (GIIC Act).

Right to Information Roadshow across NSW

6 August 2010

The Right to Information Roadshow will be held across New South Wales in August and September 2010 for agency staff, the public, community organisations and the media. The roadshow schedule with locations, dates, session times and RSVP details is now available.

GIPA case management and reporting tool now available for agencies

30 July 2010

Agency administrators and users who have received their user ID details can now log into the GIPA case management and reporting tool.

Fact sheet explains fees and charges

29 July 2010

A new fact sheet explains the fees and charges for accessing information under the GIPA Act.

Compliance guide and checklist published

30 June 2010

In order to assist agencies to comply with the GIPA Act, the OIC has published a compliance guide and a checklist explaining the requirements under the Act.

GIPA access application form now online

30 June 2010

A new GIPA Act access application form is now available for agencies. From August this form will be replaced by the web-based GIPA case management and reporting system to assist agencies to process and report on formal access applications. The OIC is working closely with the RTA to develop a system that will meet the needs of government agencies. The system will be operational by 30 July 2010.

New knowledge update published

29 June 2010

A new knowledge update is available that provides advice to agencies on creating publication guides.

OIC policies and procedures

29 June 2010

The OIC is committed to sharing information on how we do business. The first of our policies and procedures guides explains the OIC's approach to monitoring compliance with the GIPA Act.

OIC information sheets

29 June 2010

In driving the implementation of right to information reforms in NSW, the OIC provides a range of services to government agencies, members of the public, community organisations and the media. Our first information sheet explains the range of resources we offer to help agencies comply with the new right to information legislation.

GIPA Regulations released

22 June 2010

The GIPA Regulations are now available and can be accessed on the Parliamentary Counsel's website.

GIPA Act guidelines for local councils now online

22 June 2010

The OIC has published new guidelines to help local councils determine the public interest considerations for and against disclosure of information contained in the returns disclosing the interests of councillors and designated persons.

New knowledge update – informal release of information

11 June 2010

The OIC has published a new knowledge update to assist agencies with the 'informal release' provisions of the GIPA Act. The update also includes an example of a hypothetical agency that exercises a range of functions and holds a variety of information.

GIPA Act to commence on 1 July 2010

29 April 2010

The Attorney General has announced that the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) will commence on 1 July 2010.

Inaugural Information Commissioner appointed

29 April 2010

The Governor has officially appointed Deirdre O'Donnell as the state's first Information Commissioner. Ms O'Donnell was formerly Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, she has led the TIO scheme through unprecedented growth over the past two years.

From 2002 to 2007, Ms O’Donnell was the Western Australian Ombudsman and exercised broad investigative powers, including those of the Royal Commission. Western Australia was the first state to establish an ombudsman's office in 1972, and Ms O'Donnell was the first woman to be appointed to the position.

Her other roles include serving as State Records Commissioner, a member of the Western Australian Integrity Coordinating Group, and the Energy Ombudsman Western Australia.

Ms O'Donnell will take up her post on 10 May.

Nomination announced for NSW's inaugural Information Commissioner

1 April 2010

Media release (PDF, 25KB)

Law Reform Commission reports tabled

22 March 2010

The Attorney General recently tabled two Law Reform Commission (LRC) reports in Parliament. The reports have direct impact on New South Wales’ right to information system.

The Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners report recommends that the Information Commissioner lead a single commission that would oversight privacy legislation as well as the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. This commission would contain a privacy division headed by the Privacy Commissioner, who would also serve as a deputy Information Commissioner.

A total of 18 recommendations are made in the report, addressing the institutional structure of the Privacy Commission and the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC). The LRC considered a number of models for integrating the Offices of the Privacy and Information Commissioner.

The Access to Personal Information report includes 17 recommendations dealing with access to personal information under the Privacy and Personal Information protection Act 1998 and the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act). The report considers in detail the relationship between the two Acts and its recommendations are intended to ensure they operate as a seamless code.

The Attorney General has indicated that he will consult widely and publicly, and with the incoming Information Commissioner, before responding to the LRC’s recommendations.

GIPA Act training

6 January 2010

The Crown Solicitors Office has been running highly successful training sessions and briefings on the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. So far, more than 450 public servants (ranging from FOI officers through to executives) have attended GIPA training sessions or briefings, and more training sessions are planned for 2010.

The feedback on the CSO training is very encouraging. About 95 per cent of attendees rated it very good or excellent, and said that it met their training needs.

Training is also being offered by private consultants, including Megan Carter and Phillip Youngman. The Local Government and Shires Association has retained a private law firm (Maddocks) to provide training through its Learning Solutions branch.

The OIC is in the process of finalising its own e-learning package which should be available from its website in early February 2010.

The OIC is also developing a comprehensive training strategy, with the assistance of HR professionals.

Recruiting an Information Commissioner and staff

6 January 2010

The Office of the Information Commissioner is not involved in either the selection or appointment of the Information Commissioner. The position was advertised and a panel conducted a first round of interviews in November 2009. An extensive executive search is continuing and a second round of interviews is expected to take place in early 2010.

The appointment of New South Wales’ inaugural Information Commissioner will be made by the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, and only after the proposed appointee has been endorsed by a Joint Committee of Parliament.

The OIC has recruited its senior policy and communications staff, most of whom will commence duty in January 2010. The positions of Manager, Casework and Compliance, Executive Officer, Learning and Development Officer, Review Officers, and Information and Assistance Officers will be advertised in late January 2010.