Tabling of the 2023-24 Report on the Operation of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009
The Acting NSW Information Commissioner has tabled the 2023-24 Report on the Operation of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) (the Report) in the Parliament of New South Wales.
The Information Commissioner is required to report annually to the NSW Parliament on the operation of the GIPA Act. The Report examines the performance of over 270 public sector agencies, providing important guidance to policymakers and agency heads, and promoting greater transparency for the NSW community. As well as setting out detailed performance statistics, the Report covers the activities of the Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) in oversighting and assisting agencies.
In the Report, agencies reported they received 27,485 valid applications during 2023-24, an increase of 12% compared to 2022-23.
Acting Information Commissioner, Chris Clayton said, “This year, we again saw another increase in applications made for government information, with yet another record number received. Pleasingly, agencies addressed this increase whilst maintaining timeliness – with 88% of applications decided within the statutory timeframe.”
In 2023-24, agencies’ proactive release of information and proactive release programs were a priority of the IPC.
Acting Commissioner Clayton said, “For the first time, the IPC provided agencies with the opportunity to voluntarily provide information on the annual review of their proactive release program. In total, 106 agencies provided data on the additional questions, representing 40% of agencies that provided annual GIPA reporting to the IPC.
“The data showed that 40% of the agencies who self-reported published a register of information that was publicly available as a result of its annual reviews. However, agency reviews of programs for authorised proactive release of government information have declined; reducing from 91% of agencies in 2022-23 to 81% in 2023-24.”
The Report also notes that compliance with Open Access information requirements under the GIPA Act’s mandatory release pathway improved in 2023-24, however continues to be a concern. Across all departments and sampled smaller agencies, a desktop audit found that compliance with these requirements slightly increased this year to 77% compared with 73% in 2022-23.
Acting Commissioner Clayton said, “Open Access is an important feature of the GIPA Act to improve accountability and transparency across the public sector. All agencies should take steps to fully comply with mandatory requirements that specific information to be published by them as Open Access information.
“I encourage all agencies and practitioners to read and consider this Report and implement specific strategies that respond to the 2023-24 reporting outcomes.
The Report can be accessed via the IPC website. A dashboard with individual agency performance data is also available.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
The Manager, Communications and Corporate Affairs on 0435 961 691 or email communications@ipc.nsw.gov.au
About the Information and Privacy Commission:
The Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC) is an independent integrity agency that supports the NSW Information Commissioner and the NSW Privacy Commissioner. Its vision is that privacy and access to government information are valued and protected in NSW. The Information Commissioner is the chief executive of the Commission.
About the NSW Information Commissioner
The NSW Information Commissioner’s statutory role includes promoting public awareness and understanding of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act); providing information, advice, assistance and training to agencies and the public; dealing with complaints about agencies; investigating agencies’ systems, policies and practices; and reporting on compliance with the GIPA Act. In NSW, state government agencies, public universities, state-owned corporations, ministers’ offices and local councils are all subject to the GIPA Act.
The Government Information (Information Commissioner) Act 2009 (GIIC Act) outlines the method for people to complain about the conduct of agencies when undertaking their duties under the GIPA Act, and the way in which the Information Commissioner may deal with the complaint. The GIIC Act also enables the Information Commissioner to investigate and report on how agencies carry out their functions under the GIPA Act.
For further information about the IPC visit our website at www.ipc.nsw.gov.au
