Fact Sheet - GIPA Annual Reporting FAQ
Read the document below or download it here: Fact Sheet - GIPA Annual Reporting FAQ, updated September 2024
| Who is this information for? | NSW information access practitioners providing their annual GIPA data. |
|---|---|
| Why is this information important to them? | This fact sheet provides answers to frequently asked questions about Annual Reporting of GIPA data to the IPC. |
Who needs to submit GIPA Annual Reporting?
All NSW public sector agencies subject to the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) must report information and data annually on their obligations under the GIPA Act. All agencies should use the IPC GIPA Tool to submit their information and data.
What information needs to be provided in GIPA Annual Reporting?
Agencies must report on information and data required by Clause 8 of the Government Information (Public Access) Regulation 2018 (GIPA Regulation), including Tables A to I in Schedule 2 of the GIPA Regulation.
When is GIPA Annual Reporting due?
Agencies must submit reporting to the IPC by early December, details of the exact date will be communicated to agencies each year. Section 125(1) of the GIPA Act states that all agencies (apart from Ministers) must submit their GIPA data to the Minister responsible for the agency within four months after the end of each reporting year, being 31 October.
How to submit Annual Reporting using the IPC GIPA Tool?
At the end of each financial year, agencies who adopted the GIPA Tool for case management purposes can automatically generate their GIPA data for submission to the Information Commissioner via the GIPA Tool. This is the fastest and most efficient way for agencies to submit their reporting. Alternatively, agencies can use the manual entry option in the GIPA Tool to submit annual reporting to the Information Commissioner.
What if my agency reports on a calendar year?
Agencies who report on a calendar year are encouraged to submit GIPA data using the manual entry option in the GIPA Tool in order to align with other agencies.
What is the difference between Applications and Outcomes?
Annual Reporting should include information about each access application that was decided during the financial year. Note, this could be different to the number of applications received. In addition, as an application can have multiple outcomes the number of outcomes shown in Annual Reporting should be equal to or more than the number of access applications decided during the financial year.
How to report Invalid Applications?
The Annual Reporting requires agencies to identify all invalid access applications received by the agency, the reason for their invalidity and whether any invalid applications subsequently became valid
How are Review Applications reported on?
Any internal or external reviews completed during the financial year are to be reported on using Tables G and H. If the Information Commissioner recommends that an internal review be conducted by an agency this should be reported under “internal review following recommendation under section 93 of Act”.
Are there detailed instructions on Annual Reporting
A full guide to reporting is published on our website.
For more information
Contact the Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC):
Freecall: 1800 472 679
Email: ipcinfo@ipc.nsw.gov.au
Website: www.ipc.nsw.gov.au
NOTE: The information in this fact sheet is to be used as a guide only. Legal advice should be sought in relation to individual circumstances.
