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From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date.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.

Access Card Proposal

This document has been archived and is no longer in use by the Office. A list of the Office's current publications is available on the publications page @www.privacy.gov.au/materials

NOTE: Following the 2007 federal election, and in line with the new Labor government's election policy to not proceed with the Access Card, the Department of Human Services has removed the Office of Access Card website from the internet. Therefore some of the links in the information below no longer work. You can find an archived version of the Office of Access Card website (from February 2007) on the National Library of Australia's Pandora Archive website at: http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/65938/20070207-0000/www.accesscard.gov.au/index-2.html.

Submissions Media Releases MOU External Links

The Australian Government's proposed health and social services "Access Card" is being developed by the Office of Access Card, which is located within the Department of Human Services.

The Australian Government's Office of Access Card website is found at: www.accesscard.gov.au. This website includes extensive information from the Office of Access Card about the proposed card system, the government's responses to its Consumer and Privacy Taskforce reports, the government's submissions to the Feb 2007 Senate Inquiry and exposure drafts of the proposed legislation.

The Consumer and Privacy Taskforce, led by Professor Allan Fels, was established in May 2006 to advise the Minister for Human Services directly on consumer and privacy issues relating to the Access Card. The Taskforce's has a webpage on the Office of Access Card's website. The web page includes the Taskforce's discussion papers and reports: www.accesscard.gov.au/consumer_privacy_task_force.html.

Submissions made by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner in relation to the Access Card

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has made a number of public submissions regarding the Access Card. These are listed below.

Responses to Taskforce Discussion Papers:

No.3 Registration

In April 2007, the Office made a submission to the Taskforce on its discussion paper on Registration. The submission is available in and .

No 2. Optional medical and emergency information.

In March 2007, the Office made a submission to the Taskforce on its discussion paper regarding Optional Medical and Emergency Information. The submission is available in PDF and .

No 1. The Australian Government Health and Social Services Access Card

In August 2006, the Office made a submission to the Taskforce on its first discussion paper on the Access Card.

Responses to legislative proposals:

Consultation on the second exposure draft of the Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007

In August 2007 the Office made a submission to the Australian Government Office of Access Card regarding consultation on the second exposure draft of the Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007. The submission is available in HTML, PDF and .

Senate Inquiry into the first Access Card Bill

In February 2007, the Office made a submission to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee inquiry into the Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007. The submission is available at http://www.privacy.gov.au/materials/types/submissions/view/6659.

Consultation by the Office of Access Card on the first Access Card Bill

In January 2007, the Office made a submission to the Office of Access Card on the exposure draft of the Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007.

Related submissions by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner

The Privacy Commissioner has released a submission made to the Australian Government Information Management Office on Part d of its Smartcard Framework, the Smartcard Implementation Guide. The submission is available in PDF and .

In April 2007, the Office made a submission to AGIMO on Part C ('Standards and Model Specifications') of its Draft Smartcard Framework. The submission is available in PDF and .

In March 2006, the Office made a submission to AGIMO on its Draft Smartcard Framework. The submission is available at: http://www.privacy.gov.au/materials/types/download/8848/6642

Media releases by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has made the following media releases concerning the Access Card:

Memorandum of Understanding between the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Department of Human Services

In December 2006 the Office entered into an agreement with the Department of Human Services which allows for close consultation on privacy-related issues in the development and roll-out of the Access Card.

The Office has entered into this agreement with the aim of ensuring that the Access Card includes an effective and comprehensive privacy framework.

Under the agreement, the Office will provide advice to DHS on the privacy implications of the Access Card system, participate in site visits with registration authorities to observe and analyse the privacy aspects of the registration process, and assist in the development of privacy-related information and educational materials.