NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce – Privacy

Thank you for your interest in making a submission to the NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce (the Taskforce).  This privacy collection notice sets out important information you should read before deciding to make a submission.

It is your choice what information you provide if you make a submission, including whether you tell the Taskforce your name, or identify yourself in another way.  If you provide your submission to the Department by email or as a video, for example, it is likely that you will be able to be identified.

Because it is your choice, this means that when you provide a submission to the Department, you consent to the information in your submission being handled in the ways described in this notice. This includes any personal information or sensitive information that you include.

What is ‘personal information’ and ‘sensitive information’?

Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable.

Sensitive information is a subset of personal information. It includes information or an opinion about your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of associations or unions, sexual orientation or practices, criminal record, or health, genetic or biometric information.

The Department is required to handle personal information and sensitive information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

How your submission will be used and disclosed

The Department of Social Services is conducting this consultation on behalf of the Taskforce.  The Taskforce is collecting the submissions for the purpose of developing and providing advice to the Government about Recommendation 17 of the NDIS Review Report.  As part of this, the Department expects that:

• The submissions will be shared with a firm engaged by the Department to summarise and analyse them for the Taskforce in a summary document which does not include any personal information;
• The Department will require the firm to meet privacy and security standards when they are using the submissions;
• The submissions and the summary will be considered by Taskforce as part of developing their advice to Government;
• The summary (but not the submissions) may be shared with the Minister, and with specialist working groups that will support the Taskforce with analysis and advice on topics relevant to Recommendation 17;
• The submissions will be collected and stored by the Department using information technology systems maintained by Services Australia.

The Taskforce does not intend to publish the submissions.  However, if you provide your contact details with your submission, the Department may contact you to ask whether you agree to the Taskforce quoting part of your submission in its advice to Government, and whether you would like the quote attributed to you.

While the Taskforce does not intend to publish the submissions, the Department may use or disclose personal information in the submissions where this is required or authorised by Australian law.  This may include, for example, if a submission raises serious concerns about the welfare of any person, or where the Department is required to produce documents under a court order.

Neither your submission nor personal information in your submission will be sent or stored overseas.

Storage of your personal information

Storage of personal information (and the disposal of information when no longer required) is managed in accordance with the Australian Government records management regime, including the Archives Act 1983, agency-specific records authorities and general records authorities. This ensures your personal information is held securely by the Department.

All personal information collected by the Taskforce is stored on Services Australia’s cloud storage, on servers located in Australia. Services Australia and the Department retain effective control over any personal information held on our cloud, and the information is handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles.

More information

 More information about how we handle your personal information is set out in the Department’s Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy contains more information about how you can access any personal information that we hold, and how to seek correction of that personal information. It also contains information about how to make a complaint about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, as set out in the Privacy Act. If you have any concerns or questions, you can contact us at privacy@dss.gov.au.