In Australia, government agencies are working towards making administrative data available to the public and to researchers. In the past many researchers have obtained administrative data through personal contacts and relationships with government agency staff. However this type of informal arrangement is no longer acceptable in many cases because of: a) the type and volume of data now becoming available through collaborative arrangements between research groups and government agencies and other organisations (e.g. NGOs) and b) the desire of research groups to publish their findings or to make their research available to other groups (e.g. other government agencies).