Information Privacy Act
The Information Privacy Act 2009 (the IP Act):
- gives you a right to apply to access, and then apply to amend, your own personal information
- sets down the legislative framework for the protection of personal information
- establishes the office of Privacy Commissioner as a deputy to the Information Commissioner with particular responsibility for Information Privacy in Queensland
The IP Act contains two sets of privacy principles, which regulate how personal information is collected, secured, used and disclosed by Queensland public sector agencies.
There are 11 Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) for Queensland public sector agencies, and 9 National Privacy Principles (NPPs) for Queensland Health. Both the IPPs and NPPs were adapted from the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988.
The IP Act also provides a formal mechanism for a person to apply to access or amend their own personal information. This mechanism, which is set out in chapter 3 of the IP Act, is intended to be an access method of last resort. Agencies are encouraged to provide informal (administrative) access and amendment options to people wherever practicable.