Kingborough Council has revealed a data breach that left property owners’ and occupiers’ names and addresses temporarily accessible to the public online.
The council said it was alerted to the issue on April 30 after it was brought to the attention of chief executive Dave Stewart.
Senior staff launched an investigation the same day and immediately cut off public access to the data.
The breach was caused by a technical configuration issue, not a cyber attack or deliberate misuse, the council said.
Council say no internal systems were compromised and there is no evidence the data was altered or extracted.
The exposed information was limited to property addresses and the names of owners and occupiers.
It did not include financial details, identity documents, dates of birth or contact information such as phone numbers or email addresses.
The council said it could not confirm whether anyone had accessed the data or how many people might be affected, because the information was available through a public link rather than through accounts that track individual users.
Stewart apologised for the concern the breach had caused.
“I understand the community’s concern, and I want to be clear that this matter is being taken seriously,” he said.
“The information involved was limited, access has been removed, and there is no immediate evidence of misuse.”
“We are undertaking a forensic investigation and will communicate openly when we have further information.”
“I sincerely apologise for any concern that this has created in our community.”
The council said it is now working with technical specialists, legal advisers and its insurer to fully assess the situation.
It’s also reviewing its change management processes and strengthening internal rules around how data is handled.
The council said it would meet all of its obligations under the Personal Information Protection Act 2004, including any requirements to notify affected people.
The names of Tasmanian property owners is ordinarily available for purchase through state government website The List.
