Overview[]
The Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 (AIC Act) established the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). It provides for the appointment of the Australian Information Commissioner, the Privacy Commissioner (previously appointed under the Privacy Act 1988) and the Freedom of Information Commissioner.
The Act sets out the three functions of the OAIC:
The Information Commissioner is responsible for the information policy function. This requires the Information Commissioner to report to the Attorney-General on how public sector information is collected, used, disclosed, administered, stored and accessed.
The Information Commissioner also has formal responsibility for the FOI and privacy functions, and for exercising the powers conferred by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 1988.
This Act was passed on 13 May 2010, received Royal Assent on 31 May 2010, and came into effect on 1 November 2010.