Victoria’s state-owned logging business unlawfully spied on environmentalists using a private investigator in an effort to discredit them, a watchdog has found.
The Victorian information commissioner on Thursday released its investigation into historical allegations that VicForests spied on the two environmentalists and a university professor in 2010 or 2011.
While the private investigator tried to conduct surveillance of all three on behalf of VicForests, he only collected personal information of one anti-logging campaigner by taking photos and video footage of her going about her daily activities.
The information commissioner found that VicForests’ collection of the woman’s personal information through covert surveillance seriously and flagrantly contravened information privacy principles because it was unnecessary and unlawful.
“Whilst the surveillance took place almost a decade ago, the seriousness of the allegations led my office to conduct the investigation upon becoming aware of them,” the commissioner, Sven Bluemmel, said in a statement.
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“No one in the community should be subjected to this incursion on their personal privacy.”
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VicForests, in its response published with the report, rejected the findings of the investigation based on its view that the information commissioner could not be satisfied on the evidence that the alleged surveillance occurred.
However, it has recently developed a new security and surveillance policy addressing the commissioner’s concerns about the governance of surveillance activities.
The information commissioner has therefore decided not to issue a compliance notice, but instead made five recommendations to ensure the new policy is properly implemented.
VicForests has accepted the recommendations, and the office will closely monitor the implementation of the policy and recommendations.