Tips searched as government computer tapes dumped

Rubbish tips were scoured after tapes stored in a wheelie bill and containing emails from five government departments were accidentally dumped by Telstra, a Senate committee heard today.

The back-up computer tapes contained emails from various departments including Prime Minister and Cabinet, which reprimanded the telco over the blunder.

The mistake occurred in late March or early April this year from Telstra Enterprise Services' offices in Bruce, ACT, and rubbish tips were subsequently searched.

Telstra has since assured the agencies it would never happen again.

"We deeply regret this situation," Telstra's regulatory and corporate director, Bill Scales, told a Senate estimates hearing.

"There is no doubt that from Telstra's perspective that policies were not followed.

"As soon as we became aware of this particular issue, we notified the various agencies that were involved."

Mr Scales said there was no loss of information and the dumping of tapes posed only minimal security risks.

"However from our perspective this was unacceptable," he said.

"We apologised to the departments that were involved.

"Quite appropriately the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet wrote to us explaining how disappointed he was.

"We understand his concern, we recognise the points that he made and we gave him and the various agencies our assurance that it would never happen again."

Telstra believes the back-up tapes were taken from people's desks as usual, but were left for too long in a wheelie bin instead of being locked away, and were accidentally thrown out.

"It is presumed they were thrown out," Mr Scales said.

Asked if any searches or investigations were conducted at rubbish tips or where Telstra normally disposed of its rubbish, Mr Scales replied: "My understanding is yes there was."

"We did everything we could to try and find those tapes... it was an embarrassing issue for us," Mr Scales said.

Telstra regarded the letter from PM&C as a severe reprimand and again apologised today for the error.

"We've certainly been sanctioned directly by the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet," Mr Scales said.

"We take no pride out of this particular event, none at all.

"We've tried to face up immediately to our responsibilities.

"We regard a letter from the head of the department about this issue as a very severe sanction."

The other agencies affected were the Department of Communications, Information technology and the Arts, Department of Transport and Regional Services, Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

smh, 3 Nov, 2003