DELWP’s Major Operations and Investigations Unit administers surveillance device warrants issued to the agency.
Since DELWP made no application for a surveillance device warrant during the period covered by this report (1 January to 30 June 2021), the VI did not inspect any DELWP records on this occasion.
In this report, the VI’s assessment of DELWP’s extent of compliance is limited to whether the reporting requirements of section 30L of the Surveillance Devices Act 1999 were met, including whether it was submitted to the Attorney-General by 30 September 2021. While the VI found that the annual report made by the Secretary for the 2020-2021 financial year met all reporting criteria, it was made late—on 12 October 2021.
The VI acknowledges DELWP’s delay in making this report was the result of a staff change and it has since communicated this reporting requirement more widely within the agency. The VI expects no future recurrence of this failure to meet the statutory reporting timeframe.
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