The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is calling on the government to use the opportunity of the expired tabling deadline, to take the time to further consult with industry and address the significant concerns around the proposed changes before they become law.

“While the government’s self-imposed deadline has not been met, it enables the Department to continue engagement to ensure the changes are appropriately balanced,” Andrew McKellar, ACCI chief executive officer said.

“We know that an alarmingly high number of small businesses are unaware of upcoming privacy law changes, regardless of the absence of any real detail from this Government.

In response to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (ACCI) 2024 Small Business Conditions survey, two thirds of small businesses said they are not aware of the forthcoming changes, with just 8 per cent considering themselves ready to comply with speculated changes.

Even today, the small proportion of small businesses that are aware of any upcoming changes remain in the dark as to the detail.

“What we do know is that the government’s changes could have significant implications for small businesses in particular,” said Mr McKellar.

“Our small business survey shows that policy makers and regulators need to do better to help small businesses and not tie them up in regulations and red tape.

“With so little awareness of the Privacy Act changes and little to no existing business systems in place, a large-scale awareness campaign and targeted supports will be critical to ensure small businesses are not overwhelmed with these new obligations.” Mr McKellar said.

He said ACCI welcomed the discussions it’s had to date with the Department on this issue but says more consultation is needed.

“Our primary concern now is that we are yet to see the final package of changes to truly be in a position to understand the cost and compliance burden on businesses, particularly small businesses which are already grappling with financial pressures and regulatory demands.”

“In this environment of labour shortages and inflated energy costs already putting pressure on small businesses, the government’s privacy law changes will be a further burden to bear.”