Australia needs comprehensive data sharing reform

"The Productivity Commission has completed a report into data availability and use, finding that the nation is lagging behind its peers including the US, the UK and New Zealand in terms of open access to public sector data.

The report finds that despite the progress made towards an open data regime, there remains considerable scope to improve both the range of data being made public, as well as the formatting and frequency of publication of already open datasets.

Despite recent statements by the government in favour of greater openness, many areas of the Australian public sector continue to be reluctant to share or release data, the report states.

Inhibiting factors include an 'entrenched culture of risk aversion' as well as 'often perverse incentives' to refrain from the public release of data."