Last updated 4 March 2025

One of the key reasons for the enactment of Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2024 (Qld) (ART Act) in Queensland is to ensure that there is the creation of a central donor-conception information register, which has been established under the legislation. Section 45 of the ART Act imposes obligations on ART service providers to provide mandatory information to the registrar, such as information regarding the birth of a donor-conceived person as a result of a donor-conception ART procedure, and historical information concerning the birth of donor-conceived persons (born before the commencement of this part of the ART Act). The ART Act also allows for the voluntary provision of information by parties involved in private donor conception procedures (s 47 ART Act). Section 48 of the ART Act outlines the information that can be obtained by persons involved in donor conception by applying to the registrar for information held in the register. Donor-conceived persons who are 16 years or older (or a parent of/person with parental responsibility for a donor-conceived person under 16 years of age) can obtain:

  • identifying or non-identifying information about their donor and, if the donor consents, contact information about the donor
  • identifying information or contact information about a donor-conceived sibling (if the sibling has consented)
  • non-identifying information about a donor-conceived sibling (including the number of donor-conceived siblings of the applicant).

In addition, the ART Act provides that a donor can obtain non-identifying information about their donor-conceived offspring and, with the consent of their offspring, identifying information or contact information about a donor-conceived child.

Section 48 of the ART Act also provides that others can access specific information (as outlined in the legislation) from the donor-conception information register including:

  • descendants of donor-conceived persons (aged 16 years or older)
  • a donor’s child(ren) who are 16 years or older and are not themselves donor-conceived (they can obtain specific information regarding their siblings)
  • interstate donor-conceived persons who are 16 years or older (they can obtain specific information regarding their siblings).

As ART providers are required to provide both prospective and historical information to the registrar, this, in principle, allows for those involved with donor-conception practices to obtain access to such information on a historical basis (subject to the need for consent from the person to whom the information relates for release of certain identifying or personal information).

However, this does not guarantee that donor-conceived persons who were conceived before the commencement date of the relevant provisions establishing the register, will have access to all information as this will depend on whether the ART provider or medical practitioner has retained the relevant records (although, if such records have been retained, the ART service provider or practitioner is obliged to provide them to the registrar for inclusion in the donor-conception information register).