It’s Right to Know Week NSW 2021
During Right to Know Week (RTK) NSW 2021, we aim to raise awareness of a person’s right to access government held information in NSW and public sector agencies’ obligations to provide information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act).
Right to Know Week runs this week from 27 September – 3 October 2021. The theme is ‘Open by Design: integrity through greater transparency and accountability in government’.
Open by Design requires agencies to actively address access to all forms of information from the inception of any initiative. Embedding access, transparency and accountability from the outset means better information governance and a more open government.
10 years of GIPA
The GIPA Act requires agencies to identify and report on the kinds of information held by the agency and to describe the ways in which decision-making functions affect members of the public.
Read the IPC Media Release for more information on the 10 years of GIPA data.
Resources
For Right to Know Week NSW 2021, the IPC has developed an animation for citizens to help them understand the four pathways citizens can take to seek access to information held by NSW public sector agencies. Watch and share it below:
You can also view and share it on YouTube here.
The IPC has a number of resources to assist NSW public sector agencies in understanding their responsibilities under the GIPA Act:
- Guideline 10 – Obligations of Ministers and Ministerial Officers under the GIPA Act
- Fact Sheet – Accessing a deceased person’s information under the GIPA Act
- Fact Sheet – Public officials and personal information under the GIPA Act
- Checklist – Open access information under the GIPA Act and GIPA Regulation - agency requirements
- Processing Charges GIPA Compliance Report, updated Notice of Decision Template and new Request for Advance Deposit Template
- And more
Launch of Right to Know Week
The Information Commissioner is launching Right to Know Week NSW 2021 with the virtual session, Open Government – Transparency and Accountability, on 27 September.
The launch of Right to Know Week 2021 and celebration of the 10 years of the operation of the GIPA Act in NSW will include an examination of the operation of the GIPA Act since its introduction and the current NSW public sector landscape to preserve citizens’ rights to access to government information and elevate transparency.
The session will be opened by the Attorney General, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Hon. Mark Speakman SC MP and guest speakers include:
- Elizabeth Tydd, NSW Information Commissioner, IPC CEO and NSW Open Data Advocate
- Serena Lillywhite, CEO, Transparency International Australia
- the Hon. Peter Hall QC, Chief Commissioner, NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)
- Tom Burton, Government Editor, Australian Financial Review (and facilitator for the event).
Register for the event here.
ICIC and UNESCO event: The Importance of Independence and Efficiency of Oversight Bodies & Legal Frameworks
In celebration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information, the Information Commissioner is speaking on the online panel event hosted by the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) and UNESCO on 28 September. The event aims to highlight the importance of access to information laws and their implementation to build back strong institutions for public good and sustainable development.
Speakers for this event include:
- Mr. Michael Karanicolas, Executive Director, Institute for Technology, Law & Policy, UCLA, United States of America (moderator)
- Ms. Blanca Lilia Ibarra Cadena, Chair, National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection (INAI) / International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC), Mexico
- Ms. Elizabeth Tydd, Information Commissioner, Information and Privacy Commission New South Wales, Australia
- Ms. Gloria de la Fuente, President of the Council for Transparency of Chile
- Ms. Quinn McKew, Executive Director, Article 19; United States of America
- Dr. Jose Maria Costa, Director of Transparency at the Paraguayan Supreme Court, Paraguay
- International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC)
- Instituto Nacional de Transparencia, Acceso a la Información y Protección de Datos Personales (INAI)
Solomon Lecture
The Office of the Information Commissioner Queensland will be hosting its annual Solomon Lecture on 28 September in celebration of International Access to Information Day. This year’s keynote speaker for the Solomon Lecture is Professor Beth Noveck, Director of the New York based Governance Lab and MacArthur Research Network on Opening Governance.
Professor Beth Noveck will discuss how a focus on public problem solving and improving people’s lives changes how we think about data. She will discuss specific policy prescriptions for creating a right to know that fosters better government, stronger citizenship and more agile solutions to contemporary challenges.
Watch the Solomon Lecture here.
InfoGovANZ event: Opening Government – Contemporary Opportunities and Challenges
InfoGovANZ is celebrating International Access to Information Day and Right to Know Week 2021 with its discussion on opening government, contemporary opportunities and challenges on Thursday 30 September.
Guest speakers include:
- Elizabeth Tydd, NSW Information Commissioner, Information and Privacy Commission NSW
- Sven Bluemmel, Victorian Information Commissioner, Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner.
- Susan Bennett, Executive Director of InfoGovANZ (facilitator).
Get involved
We have a number of digital banners and images agencies can use across social media and on their websites:
Download the digital resources here.
Don’t forget to use #RTKNSW2021 and #openbydesign in your messages to show your support.
Hear from the Information Commissioner below about open government, and learn more on the RTK NSW 2021 webpage.
