Personal information
Public authorities like government departments, local councils and other agencies like Tasmania Police, the University of Tasmania and state-owned companies may need to collect personal information about you in order to carry out their functions. Personal information might include your name, address, nationality, income, health conditions and a range of other details.
When public authorities collect such personal information, they are required to handle it according to strict principles. The Personal Information Protection Act 2004 (Tas) gives you the right to complain to the Ombudsman if you think there has been a breach of these principles.
You should first raise the matter with the organisation that is responsible for managing your personal information. An organisation responsible for managing personal information is also called the custodian of personal information. If you are not satisfied with their response, you can complain to the Ombudsman.
Personal information protection principles
The Act gives you the right to complain to the Ombudsman if you think there has been a breach of one or more of the 10 personal information protection principles (PIPP).
You can find the PIPP in Schedule 1 of the Act. A summary of the PIPP is available on our website.