{"id":"F2017L00938","name":"Telecommunications (Integrated Public Number Database – Permitted Research Purposes) Instrument 2017","slug":"telecommunications-integrated-public-number-database-permitted-research-purposes-instrument-2017","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":439276,"registerId":"F2017L00938-fast-fetch-1775955365936","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Telecommunications (Integrated Public Number Database – Permitted Research Purposes) Instrument 2017","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nTelecommunications (Integrated Public Number Database – Permitted Research Purposes) Instrument 2017\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nI, MITCH FIFIELD, Minister for Communications, being satisfied that the kinds of research specified by the following instrument are in the public interest, make the following instrument.\n\nDated 18 July 2017    \n\nMITCH FIFIELD\n\nMinister for Communications\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Schedules\n\n6  Specification\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nTelecommunications (Integrated Public Number Database – Permitted Research Purposes) Instrument 2007 (No. 1)\n\n \n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Telecommunications (Integrated Public Number Database – Permitted Research Purposes) Instrument 2017.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n  This instrument commences on the day after this instrument is registered.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under subsection 285(3) of the Telecommunications Act 1997.\n\n4  Definitions\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Telecommunications Act 1997.\n\ncandidate means a person who has been nominated as a candidate under:\n\n (a) the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918; or\n\n (b) a law of a State or Territory that deals with electoral matters.\n\nCommonwealth entity has the meaning given by section 10 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.\n\nelectoral matter means a matter which is intended or likely to affect voting in:\n\n (a) an election under a law of the Commonwealth, or a law of a State or Territory, relating to elections to a Parliament or to a local government authority; or\n\n (b) a referendum under a law of the Commonwealth or a law of a State or Territory.\n\nlocal government authority means a local governing body established by or under a law of a State or a Territory.\n\nParliament means:\n\n (a) the Parliament of the Commonwealth; or\n\n (b) a State Parliament; or\n\n (c) the legislature of a Territory.\n\npolitical representative means:\n\n (a) a member of a Parliament; or\n\n (b) a councillor (however described) of a local government authority.\n\nregistered political party means a political party, or a branch or division of a political party, that is registered under:\n\n (a) the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918; or\n\n (b) a law of a State or Territory  that deals with electoral matters and provides for the registration of political parties.  \n\nTerritory does not include the Territory of Norfolk Island.\n\n5  Schedules\n\n  Each instrument that is specified in Schedule 1 to this instrument is repealed as set out in the Schedule.\n\n6  Specification\n\n  The following kinds of research are specified for the purposes of subparagraph 285(1A)(c)(iv) of the Act:\n\n (a) research, or the compilation or analysis of statistics, relevant to public health, including epidemiological research, where the research is not conducted for a primarily commercial purpose;\n\n (b) research regarding an electoral matter conducted by a registered political party, a political representative, a candidate in an election for a Parliament or a local government authority or a person on behalf of such a party, representative or candidate, where the research is not conducted for a primarily commercial purpose;\n\n (c) research conducted by or on behalf of the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth entity which will contribute to the development of public policy, where the research is not conducted for a primarily commercial purpose.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nTelecommunications (Integrated Public Number Database – Permitted Research Purposes) Instrument 2007 (No. 1)\n\n1  The whole of the instrument\n\nRepeal the instrument.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument maintains the same narrow scope as its predecessor. It simply re-enacts the three categories of permitted research (public health, electoral, and government policy) from the 2007 instrument with identical limitations. The 2017 version appears to be a straightforward republication or machinery update rather than an expansion of scope."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (approximately 1.5 pages of substantive content)","Only 7 defined terms, all straightforward (e.g., 'candidate', 'electoral matter', 'registered political party')","No nested exceptions or conditional logic — the three permitted purposes are listed disjunctively with a simple 'not primarily commercial' qualifier","Single cross-reference to the Telecommunications Act 1997 (the enabling provision)","Simple repeal mechanism in Schedule 1 with no transitional provisions or savings clauses"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument permits limited access to Australians' phone numbers from the Integrated Public Number Database for three research purposes: public health, electoral, and Commonwealth government policy research. Access is allowed only where the research is not “primarily commercial.”\n\nIt affects public‑health researchers, political parties, candidates and MPs, Commonwealth agencies, and the Australians whose contact details are in the IPND, updating and replacing the prior 2007 rules to balance privacy with public‑interest research."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument expressly repeals the Telecommunications (Integrated Public Number Database – Permitted Research Purposes) Instrument 2007 (No. 1) (Schedule 1) and replaces it by specifying three permitted research kinds (Specification, s6). The text therefore changes the controlling instrument; the practical breadth of the change (narrowing, expanding or clarifying permitted uses) must be judged by comparing this specification to the repealed instrument, but the instrument itself effects the repeal and supplies the new, governing list of permitted research purposes."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, discrete scope: only three research categories are specified (Specification, s6), which reduces structural complexity.","Cross‑statutory reference: instrument is made under subsection 285(3) of the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Authority, s3), requiring consult with primary Act to determine operational effect.","Key term ambiguity: 'primarily commercial purpose' is required by each category but not defined in the instrument (Specification, s6), creating interpretive/compliance uncertainty for applicants and administrators.","Defined classes and exclusions: multiple defined terms (candidate, political representative, registered political party, Commonwealth entity) affect who qualifies (Definitions, s4), requiring implementers to map applicants to legal categories.","Repeal element: full repeal of the 2007 instrument (Schedule 1) means administrators must treat this instrument as the controlling specification, and reconcile any policy or process changes.","Low administrative detail: the instrument specifies permitted purposes but contains no procedural or evidentiary requirements for access, leaving discretion and implementation details to other mechanisms (Specification, s6; Authority, s3)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument designates three specific kinds of research that may be treated as permitted to access the Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) under the Telecommunications Act 1997 and repeals the earlier 2007 instrument. It applies to public‑health researchers, registered political parties/representatives/candidates doing electoral research, and Commonwealth entities doing policy research — provided the work is not conducted for a primarily commercial purpose. It matters because it defines who may get access to IPND data and on what non‑commercial basis."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/telecommunications-integrated-public-number-database-permitted-research-purposes-instrument-2017","history":"/api/acts/telecommunications-integrated-public-number-database-permitted-research-purposes-instrument-2017/history","analysis":"/api/acts/telecommunications-integrated-public-number-database-permitted-research-purposes-instrument-2017/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/telecommunications-integrated-public-number-database-permitted-research-purposes-instrument-2017/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/telecommunications-integrated-public-number-database-permitted-research-purposes-instrument-2017/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/telecommunications-integrated-public-number-database-permitted-research-purposes-instrument-2017/documents"}}