To complain about a breach of your privacy
- Federal
- States and Territories
- Federal Privacy Commissioner
- The Privacy Act 1988 gives you rights about how your personal information is handled by
- federal and ACT government agencies, credit providers and credit reporting agencies,
- anyone who holds and uses your tax file number and anyone who requests old minor conviction
- information about you.
- The Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner will take your complaint if you think you have
- been affected in respect of any of the above matters.
- Since December 2001 businesses have also been bound by the Act.
- (See below for developments in this area.)
- Level 8 133 Castlereagh St Sydney 2000
GPO Box 5218 Sydney 1042
Phone - (02) 9284 9600
Privacy Hotline - Toll free 1300 363 992 (cost of local call)
Fax - (02) 9284 9666
Email link
Website link
- How to complain
Your complaint will need to be in writing, preferably on the complaint form.- Because putting together a privacy complaint can be quite involved, it is best for you to
- first ring the Privacy Hotline (see above) to talk with a staff member. A complaints form
- can be sent to you or you can get a copy and other information on your rights
- from the Privacy Commissioner's site.
- Go to -
- the Guidelines to the National Privacy Principles (issued 17 Sept 2001)
- the Credit Reporting Code of Conduct (click and scroll down)
- Privacy Requirements for the Private Sector (ie. businesses)
- In December 2000, the Federal Parliament passed the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000.
- The Act amended the Privacy Act 1988 to extend privacy legislation to the private sector.
- It enables you to now make a complaint if you think a business has handled your personal
- information inappropriately.
For more information on the Act.- Go to Guidelines to the National Privacy Principles (issued 17 Sept 2001)
- NEW SOUTH WALES
- Privacy NSW
- This is the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for NSW. It was set up in February 1999 to
- administer the NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and protect
- the privacy of NSW citizens. It receives and investigates complaints about privacy
- breaches NSW public sector agencies.
- Level 17 201 Elizabeth St Sydney 2000
PO Box A2122 Sydney A1235
Phone - (02) 9268 5588
Fax - (02) 9268 5501
Email link to Privacy NSW- Go to website
- VICTORIA
- Privacy Victoria
- Privacy Victoria is the Office of the Victorian Privacy Commissioner, an independent statutory office
- created by the Information Privacy Act 2000.
Level 11, 10-16 Queen Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
GPO Box 5057, Melbourne Vic 3001
Phone - 1300 666 444
Fax - 1300 666 445
Website- Email link
- QUEENSLAND
- Queensland Privacy Scheme
To address community concerns about unauthorised use of personal information,- the Queensland Government has introduced a privacy scheme for the public sector.
- The scheme, approved by Cabinet on 10 September 2001, will ensure public sector (government)
- agencies respect personal information about Queenslanders.
- Further information.
- SOUTH AUSTRALIA
- Privacy Committee of South Australia
- Since 1989, SA State Government agencies have been required to observe
- a set of Information Privacy Principles (IPP). The Privacy Committee of South Australia
- was established to oversee this.
- Further information.
GPO Box 1072 Adelaide SA 5001
Phone - (08) 8204 8762
Fax - (08) 8204 8777
- WESTERN AUSTRALIA
- A range of privacy provisions cover Government agencies and some of the privacy principles
- are provided for in the WA Freedom of Information legislation.
- TASMANIA
- In 1997, Tasmania issued Information Privacy Principles based on federal legislation and
- recommended the principles to Tasmanian Government agencies. More information.
ACT
- The Federal Privacy Act applies to ACT Government agencies.
- Health privacy complaints are handled by
- the ACT Community and Health Services Complaints Commissioner.
- NORTHERN TERRITORY
- In April 1999, the NT Chief Minister issued a Ministerial Statement "Access
- to Information and Privacy" signalled the introduction of legislation to cover
- the NT public sector.
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