NSW opens driver photo database to Commonwealth face matching

New South Wales has passed legislation aimed at cracking down on organized crime, which will also facilitate NSW’s participation in the Commonwealth’s biometric face-matching regime.

A release says the Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Further Organized Crime Reforms) Bill 2026 extends new powers to the NSW Crime Commission and NSW Police, introduces tougher penalties for “those who plan and facilitate organized crime murders,” and makes children who carry out shootings or firebombings subject to adult maximum penalties.

New powers for the Crime Commission include the ability to “compel suspects to hand over their digital devices immediately to prevent the destruction of crucial evidence.”

Refusing to disclose a device at the point of being served a summons comes with a penalty of up to four years in jail, a $4,400 fine, or both. Failing to comply with Crime Commission orders – including refusing to answer questions, obstructing investigations or giving false and misleading evidence – now comes with a maximum penalty of 10 years.

Road toll cameras, database access have implications for biometrics

The law gives police access to unredacted images from public toll road cameras, provided they are investigating “serious indictable offences or missing persons cases.” At first, they will be able to monitor feeds from Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel, before expanding across the state.

Inclusion in the Commonwealth’s biometric face-matching regime will further help prevent stolen identity documents being used for organized crime, allowing Transport for NSW to securely share driver licence and photo card images through a centralized Commonwealth database.

The release quotes Attorney General Michael Daley, who says the legislation “gives law enforcement what they need to hold organized criminals to account.”

“We are making sure our laws keep pace with the evolving tactics used by organized criminals and their associates to plan, facilitate and evade detection for heinous crimes.”

Article Topics

Australia  |  biometric matching  |  driver's license  |  legislation  |  New South Wales (NSW)