Site Changes

On 1 November 2010 the Office of the Privacy Commissioner was integrated into the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and a new website established at www.oaic.gov.au.

Note 1: Major changes to the Privacy Act 1988 will come into effect in March 2014. Agencies, businesses and not for profits need to start preparing for these changes. For more information go to our privacy law reform page at www.oaic.gov.au
Note 2: From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date. For new privacy content visit the www.oaic.gov.au website.

Answer 5 (more)

Question 5:

Is your complaint about a local, state or territory government agency - for example your local council or a state department?

Your answer: Please give me more information

The Privacy Act is a federal Act which does not cover local, state or territory government agencies, except the ACT government as a result of the Australian Capital Territory Government Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 1994 (Cth).

Both NSW and Victoria have a state Privacy Commissioner and the Northern Territory has an Information Commissioner. If your complaint is about a NSW, Victorian or Northern Territory local or state government agency, please contact the relevant Commissioner below:

Other states and territories have their own administrative privacy regimes as well and you can find more information about these on this website at www.privacy.gov.au/

EXCEPTIONS

The regulations Stat rule 2002 no 105 to the Privacy Act provide that the following NSW State authorities are bound by the Act:

Australian Inland Energy Water Infrastructure;
Country Energy;
EnergyAustralia;
Integral Energy Australia.

KEY POINT

The Commissioner can only investigate complaints about federal and ACT government agencies.

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