GIS, ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM AND LOCAL-GOVERNMENT - THE ISSUE OF PRIVACY

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer a good technical solution f or the handling of large data bases in public administration. However, GIS also poses a problem in terms of 'information privacy'. At State and Federal levels of administration in Australia, the issue of privac y, is being addressed through various administrative and legislative p rocesses. At Local Government level, GIS technology is now being intro duced at a fairly rapid rate, but as yet, there has been little discus sion of the issue of privacy at that level. This article discusses the issue of privacy at Local Government level, and suggests that there i s a pressing need to introduce some administrative reforms.