The NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority has fined Liverpool City Council $20,000 for failing to report the loss of an external hard drive that probably contained personal data relating to workers’ compensation insurance. 

The council has a workers’ comp self-insurer licence, a condition of which is that it must notify the regulator of “significant matters” in a timely manner, SIRA says.

The authority advised the council in December last year that it had been “made aware of a potential significant matter” around the loss of the hard drive.

It issued a show cause notice on January 10 before the council lodged a significant matter notification on January 28.

“[Liverpool City Council] acknowledged it became aware of this breach in July 2024,” the regulator said.

“[The council] identified that a reduced level of resourcing led to the oversight in notifying SIRA and it has secured extra support within the organisation to ensure all procedures are followed in the future.”

SIRA says another workers’ compensation self-insurer, Tomago Aluminium Company, was fined $20,000 after an audit in February found breaches related to payment obligations.

Tomago also incurred a civil penalty of $11,000 for failing to comply with a notice to produce documents and information under the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act.