DataPoints: June 2025 Edition

Another data sharing agreement was made in May, leading to sharing of early education data. This brings the total number of data sharing agreements to 26, with 11 arising from DATA Scheme agreements or variations, and 15 being general data sharing. Any organisation can make a request for data held by Australian Government agencies using Dataplace.

In May, there were also 2 organisations that completed onboarding to Dataplace, and 3 new data requests made using the DATA Scheme.

The ONDC has built Dataplace and the Australian Government Data Catalogue to help users find public sector data and request it. These tools also help organisations to manage all their data sharing activities.

Good reads for the data community

I was pleased to provide my submission to the Statutory Review of the Data Availability and Transparency Act 2022. The submission details 6 key recommendations that allow the Act to apply more broadly and streamline the sharing of Australian Government data to better achieve the objects of the Act.

This year’s Privacy Awareness Week runs from 16 June to 22 June. The DATA Scheme operates alongside the Privacy Act 1988 and supports safe, transparent and accountable data sharing. Learn more about Privacy Awareness Week 2025 here.

Helping Australian Government agencies meet their reporting requirements

Australian Government agencies must report annually on data sharing activities under the DATA Scheme to the Commissioner. The ONDC will collect this information through Dataplace and will contact agencies to verify that the information we have is correct.

Agencies will need to report separately to the Commissioner any activities that have taken place external to Dataplace before 31 July 2025.

Read our guidance on reporting requirements for DATA Scheme participants to better understand your agency’s reporting requirements. If you have further questions, attend our webinar, or you can contact the ONDC directly for assistance.

We are hosting 2 webinars in June:

• Scheme entities' responsibilities and reporting obligations - Thursday 12 June at 10:30am AEST. Learn about the responsibilities and reporting obligations of all DATA Scheme entities under the DATA Scheme. Register here.
• Introduction to the DATA Scheme – Tuesday 24 June at 10:30am AEST. An overview of the DATA Scheme, including how you can participate and request data. Register here.

Good uses of public data

Grattan Institute recently used NAPLAN data in a study to understand Australian students’ maths skills. Building on this report, they have developed a guide for school principals to improve maths teaching in classrooms. Check out the guide here.

If you have feedback or something to share in future editions of DataPoints, please get in touch. We are always interested to hear your stories, including how you have used data to deliver public benefit. Also, make sure to follow us on LinkedIn!

Gayle