The IPC encourages availability of data this Open Data Day 7 March 2020
The IPC is proud to celebrate Open Data Day on 7 March 2020, a celebration of the benefits of open data and a time to encourage open data policies in government, business and society.
Open data means simply that information an organisation holds that is stored digitally is made freely available to the community. This is usually done by making a digitised dataset accessible from the organisation’s website.
Anyone who accesses and downloads the data is then free to use it, rearrange it and publish it as they wish. They are not restricted in doing so by principles of copyright or original authorship or ownership.
The IPC’s CEO and NSW Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Tydd, is also the NSW Open Data Advocate. In this capacity, Ms Tydd provides advice to government agencies and the DIT regarding non-personal data that can be presented as open data and released to the public.
The Open Data Advocate's public commitment aligns with the functions of the Information Commissioner and prioritises three outcomes:
- Guide agencies and citizens in promoting the availability of open access data
- Contribute to the development of indicators and measures to better recognise the most effective Open Data practices
- Promote Open Data as a cornerstone of Open Government.
To learn more about Open Data, we encourage you to read the IPC’s Guideline 7: Open Data, which was released by the Information Commissioner last year and includes information such as the definition of open data, and opening data or release of government data using the access to information pathways under the GIPA Act. We also encourage you to visit Data.NSW and Australia’s Open Government Partnership Website.
