Registrations now open for the 2011 Information Policy Conference

Professor John McMillan is the Australian Information Commissioner

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) was established in November 2010 to spearhead open government reform in Australia. Our work rests on a simple statement: government information is a national resource of immense power and potential.

We have many laws and policies in Australia that control government information practices. Only recently, however, have we brought them together to commence forming a national information policy.
We are now undergoing the most active phase of open government and information policy reform in Australia for over twenty years. This reform process is inevitable, irreversible and – importantly –it is also international. This reform process is also driven in part by changes in information technology that are reshaping the way that government, business and the community interact. This is triggering a cultural shift in government attitudes to information.

To mark the OAIC’s first year of operation and to explore these critical developments in information policy, the OAIC is hosting the inaugural Information Policy Conference later this year. It will be held on 15th November at the National Convention Centre in Canberra.

Under the broad umbrella of ‘Public Sector Information: A National Resource’ this one day conference will provide an opportunity for delegates to:

• find out about the progress of the open government reforms
• contribute to developing a National Information Policy for Australia
• consider issues around the proactive publication of public sector information
• share best practice case studies
• learn about the OAIC’s Principles on Open Public Sector Information and
• discover how technology provides new opportunities for information management, exchange and sharing.

Opening up public sector information is a transformative process. Please join us at this conference to understand how open government can strengthen our democracy, and stimulate innovation to the economic and social advantage of the nation.

Find out more