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Information Privacy Act 2014
12TPP 12—access to personal information
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12 TPP 12—access to personal information
Access
12.1 If a public sector agency holds personal information about an
individual, the agency must, on request by the individual, give the
individual access to the information.
Exception to access—agency
12.2 If the public sector agency is required or authorised to refuse to give
the individual access to the personal information by or under—
(a) the Freedom of Information Act 2016; or
(b) another law in force in the ACT that provides for access by
people to documents;
then, despite TPP 12.1, the agency is not required to give access to
the extent that the agency is required or authorised to refuse to give
access.
Note The equivalent provision in the Commonwealth APPs includes a
provision applying to certain private sector entities (see
Commonwealth APP 12, s 12.3).
Schedule 1 Territory privacy principles
Part 1.5 Access to, and correction of, personal information
Section 12
page 60 Information Privacy Act 2014
Effective: 16/12/25
R13
16/12/25
Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au
Dealing with requests for access
12.4 The public sector agency must—
(a) respond to the request for access to the personal information
within 30 days after the day the request is made; and
(b) give access to the information in the way requested by the
individual, if it is reasonable and practicable to do so.
Note The equivalent provision in the Commonwealth APPs includes a
provision applying to certain private sector entities (see
Commonwealth APP 12, s 12.4 (a) (ii)).
Other means of access
12.5 If the public sector agency refuses—
(a) to give access to the personal information because of TPP 12.2;
or
(b) to give access in the way requested by the individual;
the agency must take reasonable steps to give access in a way that
meets the needs of the agency and the individual.
12.6 Without limiting TPP 12.5, access may be given through the use of a
mutually agreed intermediary.
Access charges
12.7 The public sector agency must not charge the individual for the
making of the request or for giving access to the personal information.
Note The equivalent provision in the Commonwealth APPs includes a
provision applying to certain private sector entities (see
Commonwealth APP 12, s 12.8).
Territory privacy principles Schedule 1
Access to, and correction of, personal information Part 1.5
Section 13
R13
16/12/25
Information Privacy Act 2014
Effective: 16/12/25
page 61
Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au
Refusal to give access
12.9 If the public sector agency refuses to give access to the personal
information because of TPP 12.2, or to give access in the way
requested by the individual, the agency must give the individual a
written notice that sets out—
(a) the reasons for the refusal except to the extent that, having
regard to the grounds for the refusal, it would be unreasonable
to do so; and
(b) the mechanisms available to complain about the refusal; and
(c) any other matter prescribed by regulation.
Note The equivalent provision in the Commonwealth APPs includes a
provision applying to certain private sector entities (see
Commonwealth APP 12, s 12.10).
13 TPP 13—correction of personal information
Correction
13.1 If—
(a) a public sector agency holds personal information about an
individual; and
(b) either—
(i) the agency is satisfied that, having regard to a purpose for
which the information is held, the information is
inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or
misleading; or
(ii) the individual requests the agency to correct the
information;
the agency must take reasonable steps to correct the information to
ensure that, having regard to the purpose for which it is held, the
information is accurate, up-to-date, complete, relevant and not
misleading.