New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) must improve security of information and win back public trust under a three-year contract signed with the Government last week.

The contract sets as priorities improved trust and confidence, improved management and security of private information, maintaining a focus on levy stability and financial sustainability, providing high-quality services for clients, ensuring early resolution of disputes and reporting on the performance of the accredited employer program.

A new contract was signed to deal with the ACC privacy scandal, where details of more than 6000 claimants were mistakenly emailed to a client.

It is effective to June 30 2015 and replaces a contract that was in place to run until June 30 2014.

The ACC will have to report quarterly on its progress in meeting the new priorities.

The NZ Privacy Commissioner is investigating the privacy breach and last week extended the reporting date from the end of June to August 23.

Interim ACC Chairman Paula Rebstock says the contract sends a clear message on new priorities.

“The board and management of the ACC understand we have to earn the trust and confidence of New Zealanders and we’re committed to doing that,” she said.

The ACC will also have to improve its dispute resolution process. The corporation has been set a lower target for the number of long-term claimants receiving weekly compensation, following controversy about its zealousness in reducing long-tail claims.

The contract shows the number of claims receiving weekly payments for more than a year have fallen from 19,000 in 2009/10 to a forecast 10,742 in 2012/13.

The contract sets a 78.5% target for resolution of all disputed reviews of ACC decisions being found in its favour.

The ACC has begun negotiating settlements with people whose details were disclosed in the privacy breach.

A spokesman told insuranceNEWS.com.au the commission is not commenting on individual settlements due to privacy issues, but will release the total amount paid once the settlements have been negotiated.

Compensation offers of $NZ250 ($197) have enraged some recipients. The ACC expects to have registered 1.7 million claims in 2012/13.