Spying claim bid

By Kath Gannaway
MELBOURNE Water has moved to have an invasion of privacy case brought by anti-pipeline campaigner Jan Beer dismissed.
Mrs Beer has taken action in VCAT against Melbourne Water based on claims that significant amounts of her private information were collected by the organisation during the two year period of construction of the north-south pipeline.
Melbourne Water made an application at VCAT on Friday 19 November asking for clarification on the claims put by Mrs Beer.
Melbourne Water on Monday (yesterday) Melbourne Water said that in the absence of that clarification, Melbourne Water had lodged a dismissal motion with VCAT.
The dismissal motion will be heard by VCAT in March next year and the outcome will determine whether there is a case for Melbourne Water to answer.
Mrs Beer said information obtained through Freedom of Information laws supported her claim of extensive monitoring.
Mrs Beer said Melbourne Water’s dismissal application asked for further information on the personal information she says is the subject of the claim, and the alleged interference under the Information Privacy Act 2000.
“From what I understand, Melbourne Water are critical that I have not provided more details on my claim,” Mrs Beer said.
“The irony is that in order to do so, I require further information from Melbourne Water, as to why my information was collected and what was done with that information.
“They have refused to provide this to me,” she said.
Melbourne Water says it has provided extensive responses to questions asked by Mrs Beer in relation to the matter and released documents under FOI.