Access Card update

The Office of Access Card has issued a series of fact sheets to accompany the second exposure draft of the Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007.

Chair of the Consumer and Privacy Taskforce, Professor Allan Fels AO, has also released a report on the Access Card Review and Appeals System and the Taskforce advice on governance.

“The Taskforce has recommended that a comprehensive system of internal and external review be established in relation to decisions about the card that affect individuals. Accountability mechanisms, primarily to the Parliament, should be strong,” Professor Fels said.

The draft Bill proposes to establish a dedicated Access Card Ombudsman rather than a separate review body for external reviews if a person is dissatisfied with an internal merits review.