##### 5A  Meaning of protected information and relevant information ###### Protected information - \(1\) Protected information is relevant information: - \(a\) the disclosure of which would or could reasonably be expected to prejudice national security or the defence of Australia; or - \(b\) the disclosure of which would or could reasonably be expected to prejudice the social or economic stability of Australia or its people; or - \(c\) that contains, or is, confidential commercial information; or - \(d\) the disclosure of which would or could reasonably be expected to prejudice the availability, integrity, reliability or security of a critical infrastructure asset\. - \(2\) A document or information is protected information if it: - \(a\) was a document or information to which subsection \(1\) applied; and - \(b\) is obtained by a person by way of an authorised disclosure under Division 3 of Part 4 or in accordance with section 46\. ###### Relevant information - \(3\) Relevant information is: - \(a\) a document or information that is obtained or generated by a person in the course of exercising powers, or performing duties or functions, under this Act; or - \(b\) a document or information that is obtained, generated or adopted by an entity for the purposes of complying with this Act; including, but not limited to, a document or information that: - \(c\) records or is the fact that an asset is declared under section 51 to be a critical infrastructure asset; or - \(d\) records or is the fact that an asset is declared under section 52B to be a system of national significance; or - \(e\) records or is the fact that the Minister has: - \(i\) given a Ministerial authorisation; or - \(ii\) revoked a Ministerial authorisation; or - \(f\) is, or is included in, a critical infrastructure risk management program that is adopted by an entity in compliance with section 30AC; or - \(g\) is, or is included in, a report that is given under section 30AG or 30AQ; or - \(h\) is, or is included in, a report under section 30BC or 30BD; or - \(i\) is, or is included in, an incident response plan adopted by an entity in compliance with section 30CD; or - \(j\) is, or is included in, an evaluation report prepared under section 30CQ or 30CR; or - \(k\) is, or is included in, a vulnerability assessment report prepared under section 30CZ; or - \(l\) is, or is included in, a report prepared in compliance with: - \(i\) a system information periodic reporting notice; or - \(ii\) a system information event‑based reporting notice; or - \(la\) records or is the fact that the Minister has: - \(i\) given a direction under subsection 30EF\(1\); or - \(ii\) revoked such a direction; or - \(m\) records or is the fact that the Minister has: - \(i\) given a direction under subsection 32\(2\); or - \(ii\) revoked such a direction; or - \(n\) records or is the fact that the Secretary has: - \(i\) given a direction under section 35AK; or - \(ii\) revoked such a direction; or - \(o\) records or is the fact that the Secretary has: - \(i\) given a direction under section 35AQ; or - \(ii\) revoked such a direction; or - \(p\) records or is the fact that the Secretary has: - \(i\) given a request under section 35AX; or - \(ii\) revoked such a request\. --- ## Source and attribution Saved copy: C2018A00029 / C2026C00213 / f578e546a17068939a3a5a928474713f844dfae8 Scope: navPoint\_9 Compiled 2026\-06\-04\. This does not establish legal commencement\. Official source: https://www\.legislation\.gov\.au/C2018A00029/2026\-06\-04/2026\-06\-04/text/1/epub/OEBPS/document\_1/document\_1\.html Licence: https://creativecommons\.org/licenses/by/4\.0/ Based on content from the Federal Register of Legislation at 1 October 2026\. For the latest information on Australian Government legislation please go to https://www\.legislation\.gov\.au\. Converted XHTML into Tiptap JSON; recovered lists from paragraph classes; kept literal labels and text\. Print layout is changed\. The Commonwealth Coat of Arms is not covered by the CC BY licence\.