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Health Privacy Legislation to 2003
This table shows the development of Australian health-focused privacy legislation over recent decades. It has not been updated since 2003.
| 1976 | Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) directed to report on privacy |
| 1979 | ALRC report on unfair publication: defamation & privacy |
| ALRC report on Privacy & the Census | |
| Telecommunications (Interception) Act | |
| 1980 | OECD Guidelines on Data Privacy Protection & Transborder Data flows released. |
| 1982 | Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI) |
| NSW Health Administration Act | |
| 1983 | ALRC report on Privacy |
| Archives Act 1983 | |
| 1984 | Federal government adopts OECD guidelines |
| 1986 | Commonwealth Privacy Bill proposed but abandoned |
| Australia Card proposed | |
| 1987 | Australian Privacy Foundation established |
| 1988 | Privacy Act passed regulating most federal public sector agencies |
| Tax File Number introduced | |
| Cash Transactions Report Act | |
| NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act | |
| 1990 | NSW Mental Health Act |
| 1991 | Review of Telecommunications (Interception) Act 1979 |
| NSW Public Health Act | |
| 1992 | Amendments re credit reporting made to the Privacy Act 1988 |
| National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Act | |
| 1994 | Australian Privacy Charter Council formed |
| 1995 | Report on privacy by Commonwealth Parliament House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal & Constitutional Affairs |
| Breen vs Williams: private patients have no general right of access to their health information | |
| 1996 | Attorney-General's Privacy Protection in the Private Sector discussion paper released |
| NHMRC Ethical Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technology | |
| 1997 | Public enquiry on privacy issues conducted by Federal Privacy Commissioner |
| Medicare & Pharmaceutical Benefits Programs privacy guidelines issued under Section 135A of National Health Act 1953 | |
| ACT Health Records Act | |
| 1998 | National Principles for Fair Handling of Personal Information (voluntary code of regulation for private sector) established by the Federal Privacy Commissioner |
| NSW Health Information Privacy Code of Practice | |
| 1999 | Senate Legal & Constitutional References Committee?s Privacy & the Private Sector report released |
| National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans issued by the NHMRC | |
| 2000 | First reading of Commonwealth Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Bill. Legislation subsequently passed after minor amendments and community criticism |
| EU submission to House of Representatives Committee indicates that Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Bill would not meet EU"s test of adequacy | |
| Medical Practioners Board of Victoria v Sifredi: health information pertaining to clinical management of patient before Medical Practioners Board subject to FOI requests. | |
| 2001 | Federal Privacy Commissioner announces research projects on Privacy & the Community and on Privacy, Business & Government |
| Federal Privacy Commissioner releases draft NPP and draft Health Privacy Guidelines | |
| Federal Privacy Commissioner releases consultation paper on Privacy Issues in the Use of Public Key Infrastructure for Individuals | |
| National Health & Medical Research Council releases its draft s.95 and s.95A guidelines | |
| Federal Privacy Commissioner releases Health Privacy Guidelines | |
| Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act comes into effect for large organisations & all health service providers | |
| Better Medication Management System (BMMS) draft legislation released for comment | |
| 2002 | Health Records Act in Victoria comes into effect |
| Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act comes into effect for smaller organisations | |
| Draft National Health Privacy Code released for comment | |
| HealthConnect system testing commences | |
| Guidelines for the protection of privacy in the conduct of medical research issued by NHMRC | |
| NSW Health Records and Information Privacy Act | |
| 2003 | MediConnect (known as BMMS in development stage) system testing commences |
| NHMRC issue publication "When does quality assurance in health care require independent critical review?" | |
| Draft updated NHMRC Ethical Guidelines on Assisted Reproductive Technology released for public comment |