Page 2409 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 August 2022
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operations. In developing the policy, the ACT government undertook rigorous consultation across government and with key stakeholders such as the ACT Human Rights Commission, to ensure that the policy upholds our strong commitment to robust privacy and human rights protections. The ACT government recognises the potential privacy implications of the use of this technology and has prioritised the importance of balancing the need and purpose for CCTV with the right to privacy.
Under the policy, all ACT government CCTV systems must be operated with proper consideration of privacy and human rights legislation. Directorates that operate CCTV systems must have appropriate policies and procedures in place for the use, collection and disclosure of personal information and ensure that the operation and installation of new CCTV systems considers and complies with the Human Rights Act. The policy provides robust guidance to directorates on undertaking the use, collection and disclosure of CCTV footage in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2014.
Directorates will be required to ensure that privacy statements identify how the directorate will manage personal information captured through CCTV footage; how the directorate will notify a person that their personal information has been captured; whether the directorate will provide live and recorded CCTV footage to ACT Policing; and where there is routine disclosure of CCTV footage to another agency.
These new requirements reflect the ACT government’s commitment to ensuring that the use of CCTV across the network is transparent and accountable. The policy requires directorates to establish and maintain a register of all CCTV systems under their control. The register must include, at a minimum, information on the manufacturer and system type; the purposes of the system; the location of the system; the number of cameras on the system; the signage used to notify persons of the system; and, if the recorded information is disclosed to another entity, the name of that entity.
Through strong governance measures, the community can have confidence in the ACT government’s collection, use and disclosure of CCTV footage. Another important aspect that the policy covers is the need for directorates to ensure that employees responsible for the operation of CCTV systems undertake appropriate training. The training must include awareness of their obligations under this policy and understanding of handling requests for disclosure of CCTV footage.
Finally, the policy includes a requirement that a review be conducted two years after the implementation of this policy, or earlier, should there be changes that affect the operation of the policy. The policy itself has been developed in consultation with internal stakeholders, and I take this opportunity to thank those stakeholders for their contributions.
The government is committed to maintaining a safe environment for every member of our community, and this policy contributes to that commitment. The policy will provide improved transparency and effectiveness in reporting information about CCTV systems in operation and will assist public sector agencies to maintain the appropriate governance and administration of CCTV systems while meeting privacy
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