3-5 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600  Telephone (02) 6141 6666   www.ag.gov.au  ABN 92 661 124 436



Australian Government
Attorney-General's Department

Naional Security Resilience Policy Division


11/28303-04

14 December 2012
 
Mr Roger Clarke
Chair for the Board of the
Australian Privacy Foundation

Dear Mr Clarke

RE: Consultation on the private sector extension of the Document Verification Service

Thank you for your letter of 7 December 2012 in which you sought additional information regarding the extension of the national Document Verification Service (DVS) to the private sector.

The description of the project as provided in Information Integrity SolutionŐs Privacy Impact Assessment report has not changed.

The DVS was established under the National Identity Security Strategy agreed by COAG in 2005 and formalised as an Intergovernmental Agreement in 2007. The DVS operates under the executive approval of the States, Territories and the Commonwealth and within the terms of the Privacy Act 1988 (CŐth). All agencies that participate in the DVS do so within the terms of their statutory authority.

Once in effect the new Australian Privacy Principles may potentially increase the number of organisations that may use the DVS. Any expansion of users, however, will be subject to the agreement of the States, Territories and the Commonwealth.

Again, the Attorney-GeneralŐs Department is happy to bring you up to date with our work and offers to brief the Australian Privacy Foundation on the operation of the DVS.

If you would like further information in regards to this matter, please contact my office on (02) 6141 2704.

Yours sincerely
Andrew Rice
Assistant Secretary
Cyber and identity Security Policy