Key recent developments in the area of Technology, Media and
Telecommunications are summarised below.
Judgments
No privacy breach where state agency exchanges personal
information with local council
On 9 August 2019, the New South Wales Civil and Administrative
Tribunal concluded that there was no breach of the Privacy and
Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) by a government
agency which forwarded to a local council details of an inquiry
received from a member of the public: DMW and DMX v NSW Rural
Fire Service [2019] NSWCATAD 158. The Applicant, who was
seeking approval to clear trees and rebuild a broken fence, had
applied to the Rural Fire Service (RFS) for a hazard reduction
certificate. The application for a certificate was refused, and the
RFS forwarded particulars associated with the application to the
Hawkesbury City Council because of concerns that the Applicant was
threatening to clear vegetation illegally. The Tribunal concluded
that the RFS