The Privacy Act amendments commencing on 12 March 2014 include giving the Australian Information Commissioner the discretion to recognise External Dispute Resolution schemes to handle privacy-related complaints.

The OAIC is currently consulting on EDR schemes it will recognise.

UPDATE: EDR Guidelines finalised

The Privacy Act gives the Information Commissioner the discretion to decide not to investigate, or not to investigate further, an act or practice about which a complaint has been made, or which the Information Commissioner has accepted, if the Information Commissioner is satisfied that the act or practice:

• is being dealt with by a recognised EDR scheme, or
• would be more effectively or appropriately dealt with by a recognised EDR scheme.

Additionally, a credit provider must be a member of a recognised EDR scheme to be able to participate in the credit reporting system.