ACT Human Rights Commission to take on ACT Privacy Commissioner role from 1 July 2024
From 1 July 2024 the functions of the Information Privacy Commissioner under the Information Privacy Act 2014 will be carried out by the ACT Human Rights Commission.
The Information Privacy Act regulates how ACT public sector agencies handle personal information. It includes a set of Territory Privacy Principles (TPPs) which cover the collection, storage, use and disclosure of personal information, and an individual’s access to and correction of that information.
From 1 July 2024 the role of the ACT Privacy Commissioner will be undertaken by Discrimination, Health Services, Disability and Community Services Commissioner.
Under the Information Privacy Act, the Information Privacy Commissioner has a range of functions, including:
- promoting an understanding of the TPPS and their objectives;
- providing information and educational programs to promote the protection of the privacy of individuals; and
- helping public sector agencies to comply with the TPPs and TPP codes; and
- investigating privacy complaints made under the Act; and
- exercising any other functions given to the commissioner under the Act or another territory law.
Since 2014 the ACT Government has had an arrangement with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to provide services and functions of an information privacy commissioner under the Information Privacy Act.
That arrangement has now ceased.
The ACT Government has appointed the Discrimination, Health Services, Disability and Community Services Commissioner within the ACT Human Rights Commission to take on this role.
The ACT Human Rights Commission has a range of complaint handling roles, and this appointment will further enhance the role of the Commission as a ‘one stop shop’ for dealing with complaints regarding ACT public sector entities.
There are also clear synergies with the existing complaint handling functions including handling complaints about health record concerns and human rights complaints which commenced on 11 June 2024 and includes the ability to complain about alleged breaches of privacy by ACT public sector entities.
The appointment of the Information Privacy Commissioner will commence on 1 July 2024. This appointment is for an initial period of 12 months.
If you have any questions about the privacy complaint process, or the transfer of a privacy complaint from the OAIC to the ACT Human Rights Commission contact us.