ON-PROVIDING DATA TO THE ABS
Under the NIA ECEC (Schedule C, clause 5.1), each jurisdiction is required to forward their data collections to the ABS. All states and territories acknowledge that they are aware of the implications of sharing data with the ABS in terms of relevant jurisdictional privacy and confidentiality legislation requirements, and have investigated whether permission is required to be obtained from parents or guardians. The provision of data to the ABS by jurisdictions is authorised by the Census and Statistics Act, however data may also be covered by other relevant state and territory legislation.
As the ABS will be receiving the information under the Census and Statistics Act, the ABS will comply with the requirements of the Act in all interactions with the data. Section 19 of the Census and Statistics Act imposes obligations on the Statistician and ABS officers in relation to the protection of the confidentiality of data. In publishing and disseminating the results of analyses of statistical information, section 12 ensures that the ABS will not publish information in a manner that is likely to enable the identification of a person or organisation.
In accordance with the requirements of the Census and Statistics Act, the ABS guarantees to:
- Remove all directly identifying information prior to release. This includes name, date of birth, address and any other information that identifies particular persons or organisations.
- Release information only in a manner that is not likely to enable the identification of the particular person or organisation to which it relates.
As a Commonwealth agency, the ABS must also comply with the 11 Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) as set out in the
Privacy Act. The IPPs give protection to the confidentiality of a range of personal material and impose obligations regarding the storage and use of personal information. All ABS practices in relation to the care and control of personal information must, as a minimum, comply with the requirements of the
Privacy Act.