Department of Customer Service Agency Information Guide

The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) (GIPA Act) gives citizens an enforceable right to access government information unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure. To assist the public, each agency publishes a guide to the information held and how to access it.

The Department of Customer Service (DCS) is committed to ensuring that citizens can access information about us easily and at the lowest reasonable cost. The following is the DCS Agency Information Guide (AIG). It outlines who we are, what we do, the information we make available, and how you can access it.

The purpose of this DCS AIG is to provide general information on the:

• structure and functions of DCS
• ways in which the functions of DCS, including the decision-making functions, affect members of the public
• specific arrangements in place to enable members of the public to participate in the formulation of DCS policy and the exercise of DCS functions
• kinds of government information held by the DCS
• kinds of government information held by DCS that we make publicly available
• how DCS makes or will make government information publicly available
• kinds of information that are (or will be) made publicly available free of charge and those kinds for which a charge is (or will be) imposed.

Where appropriate we have provided links to documents, reports, data and other information throughout this AIG.

This AIG is reviewed regularly and at least every 12 months. 

About Us

The Department of Customer Service (DCS) is a service provider, regulator and central agency of government. The role of the department is to help:

•    set the strategy and service standards for the sector
•    provide digital, data, and behavioural insights services for the sector
•    deliver services directly to more than 8 million customers.

DCS was established on 1 July 2019, and comprises more than 30 agencies, entities and business units that provide regulatory functions and deliver services to the people and businesses of NSW.

DCS structure

DCS houses individual agencies, offices, entities and business units. Find out more about DCS's structure, agencies and functions.

Our functions 

Our organisational structure includes nine core functions. As a service provider and regulator, most of our activities have a direct impact on the public. The table below outlines our core functions and how they affect the public.

Note: Service NSW is considered a separate agency under the GIPA Act and therefore is required to publish their own Agency Information Guide on the Service NSW website. 

More information about the services provided by these agencies can also be found on their own websites. For a complete list of DCS functions provided by legislation, please refer to the DCS Annual Report (‘Legislation administered’).

Our Code of Ethics

As a regulator and service provider for the NSW Government, individuals across NSW are affected by how we perform our functions. DCS employees must act in the public interest bound by the values described in our Code of Conduct, being:

• integrity
• service
• accountability
• trust. 

Public participation 

DCS has many ways you can participate in the work we do. You can make a comment or suggestion, participate in formulating department policies or functions, or raise issues you feel are of concern to you or the public at large.

You can do this:

• through formal feedback channels such as the NSW Government Have Your Say portal
• through online feedback forms provided on many of our agency websites
• by contacting the division or office's relevant head, or the Secretary of the Department of Customer Service.

Our business areas may, on occasion, provide an opportunity for the public to make submissions on discussion papers, blueprints and reports. When we seek submissions, we outline how you can participate on the relevant website or on the NSW Governments Have Your Say portal. 

Subscribe to our content

Each business area advertises and promotes public participation in current policy development, review and reform processes.  

The best way to participate is to subscribe to our mailing lists, newsletters and social media pages, available at the following links: 

You can also monitor our News and Media Releases page and Have Your Say websites. Following is a list of useful public participation contact points:

• NSW Government Have Your Say
• NSW Fair Trading consultations
• SafeWork NSW Have Your Say
• NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriage contact page
• SIRA consultations
• Revenue NSW contact page
• Digital.NSW get involved

Complaints and feedback

We invite you to submit your questions, complaints or feedback about any of our agencies, programs, policies or reforms. In particular, you may give feedback about: 

•    the quality of the service received from a staff member 
•    the conduct of a staff member 
•    a decision made by a business area
•    a policy or procedure.

You can provide feedback by email, letter, telephone or in-person at a Service NSW Centre. Contact information for each function of the department is available on the relevant agency’s website. 

Additionally, some business areas within DCS use Feedback Assist. This online tool ensures there is 'no wrong door' for customer feedback across government.
Feedback received through this tool is tracked and reported and is generally used to improve how we provide government services.

If a complaint is serious or complex, it is generally best to put it in writing.
To contact us, please visit the DCS Contact us page or use the relevant agency’s online contact form, below:
 

Fair Trading

• contact Fair Trading
• submit your comments via its feedback process.

SafeWork NSW

• keep up to date by viewing SafeWork's safety alerts
• Visit SafeWork’s customer feedback page.

Revenue NSW

• contact Revenue NSW
• leave your feedback on a client feedback form.

NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages

• contact NSW BDM via the Contact the Registry page
• leave your feedback on a feedback form. 

SIRA

• contact SIRA or leave your feedback via the contact us page.

Digital.NSW

• contact Digital.NSW via the Talk to us page.

Building Commission NSW

• contact Building Commission NSW via the How we can help page.

Information access

Divisions across DCS keep records associated with their core functions in regulation and the provision of services. These records may include a person's personal information that is collected, stored, used and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act).

What kind of government information does DCS hold

We hold a range of information including:

• financial records: journals, reconciliation, bank statements, treasury management system computer reports, budgets, invoices, and purchase orders
• customer records: records of customers’ interactions with various divisions within DCS including through call centres, and digital services
• service partnership agreements: legal agreements setting out the terms and conditions of agencies’ arrangements with DCS
• personnel records: employee remuneration, performance appraisal and recruitment records
• executive records: executive and other committee minutes and correspondence
• human resource management records: relating to human resource management policies and practices
• information technology records: relating to information technology planning, acquisition, installation, and disposal; including user and system manuals
• communication records: media releases, news clippings, marketing collateral, brand guidelines, presentations
• policy and procedural manuals: documenting DCS policies and operational procedures
• complaints and investigative information.

What kind of government information is made available to the public and how

We make information available under the GIPA Act in four ways:
•    open access information
•    proactive release of information
•    informal access
•    formal access.

How to access information we hold under the GIPA Act

The GIPA Act provides the public with a right to access government information. A request to access information we hold can be made as an informal request (section 8 of the GIPA Act) or as a formal access application (section 9 of the GIPA Act).

DCS has four GIPA teams handling information access requests for the following divisions: 

DCS and Service NSW GIPA team

• Revenue NSW 
• Digital NSW (including Geographical Names Board, Board of Surveying and Spatial Services and NSW Telco Authority)
• Customer, Delivery and Transformation (including Births Deaths and Marriages and the NSW Data Analytics Centre)
• Office of the Secretary
• People & Culture 
• Corporate Services
• Building Commission NSW 
• Service NSW 

NSW Fair Trading GIPA team

• NSW Fair Trading 
• Long Service Corporation 
• Office of the Registrar General 
• Subsidence Advisory 
• Professional Standards Authority
• Office of the Property Services Commissioner
• Office of the Rental Commissioner
• Financial Counselling Trust Fund
• Rental Bond Board

SafeWork NSW GIPA team

• SafeWork NSW.

SIRA GIPA team

• Statutory Insurance schemes 

Informal access

The GIPA Act authorises the release of government information in response to an informal request unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure (section 8 of the GIPA Act).

If we haven't freely published the information you seek as ‘open access information’, we may be able to release it to you without the need for a formal access application. We generally provide the following types of information in response to an informal request:

•    your personal information
•    copies of correspondence sent to us by you
•    applications and supporting documents sent to us by you
•    documents such as customer transaction database notes that contain only personal information about you
•    documents that may have already been made public in some other way 
•    other reasonable requests for release of information that would not raise any potential public interest or privacy concerns.

This form of release does not require a fee or an application form. Information may be released with deletions, released subject to reasonable conditions, or released in a preferred form. We may impose conditions on the use or disclosure of information that we release in response to an informal request.

If you would like to make an informal request for information, please email the relevant GIPA team.

Requests for personal information can also be made under the PPIP Act. 

Formal access

If the information you are looking for is not already published by us or available by informal request, you may wish to make a formal access application in writing under the GIPA Act. Formal access applications are subject to application fees and processing charges. We will not release information if there is an overriding public interest against its disclosure.

Your access application must include the following five things:
•    be in writing and addressed to the agency
•    clearly state you are requesting information under the GIPA Act
•    include the $30 application fee
•    include your name, an email address or return postal address for correspondence in connection with an application
•    include such information as is reasonably necessary to enable the government information applied for to be identified.

If your application does not meet the above requirements, it will be invalid and the application will not be processed. However, in order to help you make a valid application, we will contact you to provide advice and assistance.

You can make a formal application by completing an application form available from the relevant GIPA team’s webpage.

Formal access application fee and processing charges

Apart from the $30 application fee, the GIPA Act allows DCS to impose a charge of $30 per hour to process an application. The application fee counts towards the first hour of processing.

In processing a formal access application, DCS is required to ensure that it is dealt with efficiently and provides access to information requested at the lowest reasonable cost.

A 50% discount in processing charges will apply if an applicant demonstrates they fall within any of the following categories:

•    a member of the public suffering financial hardship
•    the information applied for is of special benefit to the public
•    the holder of a current Pensioner Concession Card
•    full-time students
•    non-profit organisations.

Please note that the 50% discount applies only to processing charges and not to the $30 application fee.

If applying for your own personal information, DCS cannot charge for the first 20 hours of processing.

Decision making process

Information which may not be disclosed

You cannot access information excluded under Schedule 1 and 2 of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, such as information related to the complaint handling and investigative functions conferred by or under any other Act, or Cabinet or Executive Council information. That information is ‘excluded information’ under the GIPA Act. 

For some information categories, while you may apply for access, there is a presumption against release. See the list of categories set out at Schedule 1 of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.

You can find out more about your right to information by visiting the Information Privacy Commissioner NSW website.

Internal Review

You may seek a review of a formal decision under section 5 of the GIPA Act. If you wish to apply for an internal review the application fee is $40.

More information about your review rights under the GIPA Act can be found in a fact sheet from the Information and Privacy Commission. You can also contact the IPC on 1800 472 679. 

Information and Privacy Commission

The Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC) promotes and protects information access rights in NSW and provides information, advice, assistance and training for agencies and individuals on information access matters.

To learn more about citizen rights and agency obligations visit the IPC website.

Information access contacts