Personal information

Under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (NGER Act) and the National Greenhouse and Energy Regulations 2008 (the Regulations), the Clean Energy Regulator and authorised staff have the authority to collect information which may include personal information as defined by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act).

'Personal information' is defined in the Privacy Act to mean information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:

1. whether the information or opinion is true or not, and
2. whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.

Personal information collected will be used for the purposes of the NGER Act and for related purposes.

In compliance with the Privacy Act, the Clean Energy Regulator has appropriate measures in place to ensure that personal information is protected. Measures include procedures and systems for the receipt, management and storage of personal information and ongoing measures to check the integrity of systems and to ensure that procedures are being followed.

Disclosure of information

The Clean Energy Regulator is bound by the secrecy provisions of Part 3 of the Clean Energy Regulator Act 2011 (CER Act) and by the Privacy Act in regard to personal information it collects.

The Clean Energy Regulator is only able to disclose personal information it collects under the NGER Act in accordance with the CER Act, the NGER Act, the Privacy Act or as otherwise required by law.

The circumstances in which such information may be disclosed include:

• Disclosure to the Secretary or authorised officer of a Department for the purpose of administering a program or collecting statistics relating to greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption or energy production
• Disclosure to certain agencies, bodies or persons where the Regulator is satisfied that disclosure will enable or assist those agencies, bodies or persons to perform or exercise their functions or powers, including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Commissioner of Taxation
• Disclosure for the purposes of law enforcement, and
• Disclosure to States and Territories in accordance with the NGER Act.

Any questions regarding the privacy of personal information collected under the NGER Act should be directed to:

Clean Energy Regulator Privacy Contact Officer
Clean Energy Regulator
GPO Box 621
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Phone: 02 6159 3556
Email: CER–Privacy@cleanenergyregulator.gov.au