Response to the Data Sharing and Release Legislation issues paper

Following the Australian Government’s response to the Productivity Commissions inquiry into data availability and use the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet have released an issues paper for consultation about the New Australian Government Data Sharing and Release Legislation.

This issues paper asked for feedback on a number of important topics:

• Factors to consider when designing the legislation
• Scope of data sharing
• Purpose for sharing data
• Framework for risk management
• Data sharing arrangements
• Roles and responsibilities
• The data commissioner

CAUL provided a response to PM&C which focused on the need for coordination among agencies responsible for data such as the ARDC, and the need for F.A.I.R. principles to be reflected in the legislation. 

Recommend that :

• The relationship between the proposed National Data Commissioner (NDC) and the ARDC should be captured in the DS&R Legislation.
• The DS&R legislation should go beyond only the use and re-use of public sector data by ensuring that the data made available is also Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (F.A.I.R) and in the case of data used for research, this should extend to the research outputs as described in the Australian F.A.I.R. Access Policy Statement.