The Victorian Government has announced two new policies, the DataVic Access and Intellectual Property policies, that will enable unprecedented access to the state's data.

 

Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Technology Gordon Rich-Phillips, who announced the new policies at the 8th Annual Victorian Spatial Excellence Awards, said that Victorian Government data was one of the state's most important public assets.

 

"Each year the Victorian Coalition Government invests millions of dollars in producing and acquiring high-quality data about our state", Mr Rich-Phillips said.

 

"Giving recurrent and reliable access to this data is a long overdue stimulus that Victorian businesses and the community will be able to finally harness in developing innovative applications that create new services or improve existing ones.

 

"These new, comprehensive policies place Victoria at the head of the pack in Australia on mandating access to state government data.

 

"In driving the release of useable, high-quality data, these new policies will stimulate significant innovation and economic activity, creating a platform on which to develop new technologies, new services and ultimately, new jobs."

 

"Under the Victorian Coalition Government's DataVic Access and IP Policies, it will be significantly easier to identify Victorian Government data and to access it, in most cases, at no cost," Mr Rich-Phillips said.

 

Mr Rich-Phillips said access to certain types of data would be restricted on the grounds of privacy, public safety, security and law enforcement, public health, pre-existing contractual arrangements or to comply with other laws.

 

Data will be available to users online through the re-developed Victorian Government data directory at www.data.vic.gov.au