The WA Privacy Reset 1 min read

Western Australia just got its first privacy law.

Yesterday, Western Australia was the only place in Australia where the public sector had no privacy law. Today, that is no longer true.

Until this week, Western Australia was the only Australian jurisdiction whose public sector operated without dedicated privacy legislation. That gap is now closed. On 1 July 2026, the Information Privacy Principles under the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA) commenced.

The Act introduces 11 Information Privacy Principles, drafted to resemble Victoria’s rather than the Commonwealth’s. They bind a wide range of WA public entities: Government departments, local and regional governments, Government Trading Enterprises, the Police Force, courts and tribunals, universities, TAFEs and public schools. Enforcement is real. There is a new Information Commissioner, and penalties extend to compensation, fines and, in serious cases, imprisonment.

If you handle personal information inside a WA public entity, the foundations should already be in place: a designated privacy officer, current collection notices, and a clear record of why each category of information is collected. The notifiable information breach scheme follows on 1 January 2027.
This article is part of a short-read series collaboration by Nguma Pty Ltd and Onpoint 365 on Australian Government hiring.
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