Exposure Draft of the Data Availability and Transparency Bill

  The draft Data Availability and Transparency Bill aims to modernise and streamline the sharing of government data between agencies and with the private and research sectors. Under the legislation, data will be shared for three purposes: government services delivery, informing government policy and programs, and research and development.  The Consultation Paper contains a simplified summary of the legislative package. Submissions made by a group of multidisciplinary practitioners and academics highlight privacy and governance concerns.  These include the override of Australia Privacy Principle (APP) 6 and the inherent conflict of National Data Commissioner whose mandate is to encourage data sharing with the enforcement of the regulation.  The submission recommends that governance and assurance be regulated the Australian Information and Privacy Commissioner.  You can read the submission here.