The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is Australia’s national privacy and information access regulator.
The use of remote working arrangements has enabled us to have a national footprint, stretching far beyond our Sydney office.
In the 2023–24 year, 41% of our staff were based outside New South Wales, with representatives in every state and territory. This percentage has increased in recent months and the figure above does not include staff who are working in regional areas of NSW.
A national footprint helps us build a workforce that represents the community we serve, including people who live in rural and regional communities. As a small agency, it has not been economic to have offices in numerous locations.
Under this arrangement, the OAIC has been active in taking regulatory action, and in 2023–24 finalised 15% more Information Commissioner reviews and 20% more privacy complaints.
Our regulated community appreciates our digital-first approach, which lowers barriers to engagement with both industry and civil society.
The OAIC continually look for ways to support remote staff and find ways to bring them together in central locations, and will continue this program through 2025.
Like all agencies, we have and will continue to consider our working arrangements in line with whole-of-government policy.
