Access to personal information [and privacy law in NSW] :

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) provided this supplementary submission in response to the NSW Law Reform Commission’s (LRC) inquiry into the administration of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) (PPIP Act) and the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) (GIPA Act). In this brief submission, PIAC urges the establishment of an Information Advisory Committee to provide regular advice and assistance to the Information Commissioner and of a requirement that the Information Commissioner engage in regular consultation with the community sector about guidelines, reforms and policies. To ensure complaints under the GIPA Act and the PPIP Act are dealt with in a timely way, PIAC advocates for the establishment of time frames for the handling of complaints. In relation to decisions by the Information Commissioner about whether to investigate or discontinue a complaint, PIAC argues for legislative guidance to be provided to the Commissioner on factors that are relevant to these decisions. PIAC advocates for public reporting of compliance by agencies with their obligations under the legislation as an important mechanism to improve accountability and transparency. PIAC urges against the establishment of overarching responsibility for the Information Commissioner for both regimes and of two Deputy Commissioner roles, one with responsibility for the GIPA Act, the other with responsibility for the PPIP Act.