As I am not sure where your nearest local AEC office is, but mine (in Brisbane) is in Brisbane CBD. There aren’t any suburban offices in Queensland, only those in Brisbane CBD and regional centres around the state. These regional centres are the local AEC offices for the regional electorates.
OK. Things are quite different in Melbourne (and, probably, in Sydney as well). Down here there are about 30 AEC offices throughout the metropolitan area. Probably at least one (or more) for each suburban council area
For us living in Brisbane, there is significant effort (allow minimum 2 hours) and cost (public transport or parking) to make a trip to the AEC to look at the electoral roll.
Been quite some time since I’ve driven around Brisbane. But, are you saying that it now takes everyone in the metro area a “minimum” of two hours to make a return trip into the CBD, regardless of where they live ? Surely, you would have to be coming in from the absolute outer limits… somewhere like Lake Manchester (?)… for it to take anything like an hour. ? I used to drive from the Gold Coast into the CBD in about 50 minutes.
If I was a ‘bad person’, I wouldn’t be wasting my time and money to visit a AEC office when the same information can be gained online.
With respect, you keep making suggestions and posting links (which, based on my testing of them, have provided zero results) to places where you believe a would – be offender may, possibly, be able to find the address of his/her intended victim. But , so far, I’m not sure that you’ve really been able to pinpoint one specific source where someone who is planning to commit a criminal offence can, definitely, obtain the information that they need as quickly or as anonymously as they can by simply looking at the electoral roll.
For example, I very much doubt that our potential jailbird would be about to open an account with Info Trak (?) which, apparently, offers a search facility to provide information about people and property ? If you’re planing to trash someone’s car or set fire to their house the last thing you would do is run the risk of being traced by using a website which requires you to register, open an account, pay online and, presumably, verify your identity. I assume that the managers of the site also retain some sort of digital record of searches that have been done and who did them. Surely you would avoid the internet …. entirely if you wanted to track someone down in order to “get even” with them , particularly if there was a much safer way of doing it .
I think you’ll find that someone who, let’s say, lives in Collingwood Park and is quite prepared to drive to Wynnum (a 50 ? K journey) at 1.00 am to commit a crime would be completely willing to travel 30 Ks (in the same direction) to get the address of their victim from the AEC in the city. Bear in mind that this character is on quite a mission. He/she has to find out where someone (who has an unlisted phone number) lives, travel to their home and, at the very least, vandalize their house or car … or even do something much worse such as set fire to the place. We’re talking about someone who is going to put in a LOT of effort to plan, prepare and carry out a crime and to avoid apprehension. Do you really think that they’re going to be concerned about taking a short trip into Queen Street to get the only information that they need in order to commit the crime ? Not only get it but get it safely and completely anonymously ?
Certainly, if our villain was located in either the Melbourne or Sydney metro areas where, as mentioned above, there are dozens of AEC offices wouldn’t he/she be far more likely to end up wasting a great deal more time and/ or money if they did anything other than simply take a short trip to their local office ?
I suppose the real question should ones street address (like the information such as that can be read on the electorate roll at the AEC offices or online) be private information and not be available to others. My answer is no, as it would not be possible to not disclose such information to others to allow one to function/live in a modern society.
Indeed. I look at it this way… If someone is quite happy for their name and address to be published in the phone book then that indicates that they have no real problems with anyone knowing where they live. If, however, someone has an unlisted number, then that probably suggests that the person in question has some reason (probably a very good one) for wanting to keep their address private. And, for me, this is where we turn back to the issues surrounding the electoral roll.
**Most transactions (either in person, indirect or online) with others/businesses needs as a minimum, a name and address as the principal identifiers
But, these are one to one, personal transactions taking place in situations where we know and can control who is getting this information. In these cases, there are, obviously, legitimate reasons why these parties need our personal details. We know who they are and where they are located, we chose to provide our details to them because it’s in our interest to do so and we know why they need it. Of course, they may, later, betray our trust, breach the confidentiality of our personal information and misuse it.**
If the AEC is required to withhold names and addresses, should the same apply to local governments (rates and owner searches), the Police (where searches and criminal records can be obtained), state government (land/title searches) etc etc. The same and more information can be gained from these freely or for small fees.
I believe to withhold such information would potentially have a greater effect on society and function than releasing such information in the very remote chance that a ‘bad person’ takes the time and effort to read, record and use the information inappropriately.
Well, again, I believe… in fact, I know, for sure, that electoral roll information is used, quite often for criminal purposes. In my case, an acquaintance of mine who was a private detective and, before that, a Melbourne CIB detective for 25 years was able to prove, certainly to my satisfaction, that an attack was made against me after the offender had visited an AEC office.
One also needs to be sure that the only way to gain the such information is from the AEC (which is not the case) otherwise the removal of public records will have no effect on privacy.
However, as highlighted above, if one believes there is a genuine risk to ones own security from a known ‘bad person’ one is acquainted and also is known to peruse the electoral roll with, then there is the option to remove ones name from the electoral roll which on public display. One also possibly needs to hope that the same ‘bad person’ can’t access the internet or know other sources of the same information.
Agreed… However, in my case, I was given no real reason to have any concern about the party who offended against me. In fact, it took some time to even think of a potential attacker or motive. Certainly not a known “bad person” who had it in for me until it actually happened. It all just exploded out of the blue. Also, there’s not much point in being removed from the roll once such characters already know where you live.
Also, if one changes from a publicly listed number to a privately listed number at some point in time (say due to a risk eventuating), the phone silent number can still be found using websites like this one or others on the net which contain historical and current phone number searches: The only way for a silent number to not be able to be found is for a new phone number to be issued on or immediately after being made silent
Didn’t know that. Had a silent number for a long time and tend to change it every few years.
But, here again, the villains can’t find where you live just on the basis of having your unlisted phone number.
Anyway, we’ll leave it there. Been an interesting discussion … for me, ,at least.