Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1219 ..

(5) The Fingerscan system is not a more elaborate or more expensive system than is currently being used by the Assembly or other Government departments in the Territory or other States. It is a system which allows the Chief Minister's Department to have control over its maintenance and ensure that only authorised personnel have access to those areas of the building which require restrictions.

(6) There are many other security systems available. However the majority require some form of equipment to be provided to the user such as a DKS/Mill key, a swipe card or personal identification. There are also other more labour intensive and costly options - the use of security personnel such as Chubb for example. The Fingerscan system, which is now operating quite effectively at the Canberra Nara Centre, is a best practice system which is cost effective and less cumbersome than those requiring users to carry identity cards or keys which can be lost or can be transferred to someone else.

(7) (a) It is correct to state that the Fingerscan system does not store images of fingerprints. It merely stores a digitised image of relationships between the highs and lows of a finger profile. This cannot be reconstructed as a fingerprint due mainly to the incomplete information base. This image is stored and downloaded to authorised scanning pads for each individual.

The Fingerscan system requires two components before allowing access to any authorised person - (1) the user's individual identity number, and (2) the user's fingerscan profile. Each user keys in their individual identity number and then places their scanned finger on the reader. The identity number takes the database directly to that person's dignitised image and their finger scan confirms that reading.

(b) Yes.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .