Privacy Collection Notice and Consent Form
Your personal information is protected by law, including under the Privacy Act 1988 (the Privacy Act).
The Department of Social Services (Department, we, us, our), collects personal information about individuals for a range of purposes to enable it to carry out its functions. More information about how we handle your personal information is set out in our Privacy Policy.
This privacy collection notice is designed to ensure you are aware of certain matters in relation to the Department’s collection of your personal information, as required by the Privacy Act.
Purpose of this collection
The Department collects your personal information when you use our website, including when you supply information through completing a form or when you subscribe to the National Disability Asset (NDDA) website.
The subscription will be through a third-party provider, Inuit Mailchimp based in the United States, who will collect your personal information for the purpose of the inclusion in the subscription list
The Department will use the mailing list to provide updates to subscribers on the NDDA Project. You may opt-out of the subscription list at any time. Details on how to unsubscribe are provided below.
We may also collect your personal information for the purposes of responding to your enquiry submitted through to us on the contact us page.
What is ‘personal information’ and ‘sensitive information’?
Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. This applies whether the personal information is true or recorded in a material form. For example, personal information can include an individual’s name, signature, residential address, phone number, email address, date of birth, photographs, employment information, location information from mobile devices and internet protocol addresses.
Sensitive information is a subset of personal information. It includes information or an opinion about your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of associations or unions, sexual orientation or practices, criminal record, or health, genetic or biometric information. Health information includes any information regarding whether an individual has a disability and the nature of their disability.
Remaining anonymous
You have the right to remain anonymous or use a different name (pseudonym or alias) when interacting with us. However, this may limit our ability to respond to your enquiry. For example, it may be impractical for you to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym where you are seeking access to a data set. This means it may be necessary for you to provide some personal information in circumstances i.e. an email address so that we can respond to you.
What personal information we collect
We may collect your information (including any personal information) for one or more of the above purposes.
We collect your name and email address in order to manage the subscription list of the NDDA, to provide you with updates on the NDDA Project, and to respond to enquiries.
The information that you provide when subscribing or submitting an enquiry or your feedback will be held, used, and disclosed in accordance with the Department’s Privacy Policy.
How we collect your personal information
Your personal information will be collected if you choose to submit an enquiry or feedback to us or participate in the subscription list. We will collect information:
- from you directly when you subscribe to the mailing list
- that you provide to us when making comments or completing the contact us or other web-based forms
- about any feedback you submit on your experience with our website.
Why we collect your personal information
Your personal information is collected for the purposes of responding to any enquiries you submit or managing the subscription list of the NDDA. We may also use your personal information to:
- provide you with updates on the NDDA Project
- invite you to participate in engagement activities regarding the NDDA where participation is optional.
If you do not provide your personal information, we will not be able to email you updates on the NDDA Project or invite you to participate in our engagement activities.
Who we disclose your personal information to
The Department uses Intuit Mailchimp, a service based in the United States of America to maintain the subscriber list. This means your personal information will be disclosed and stored outside Australia for the purpose of using Intuit Mailchimp.
Our contracted ICT service providers may access information provided through forms on the site as part of their role in the management of our websites. This includes our contact us, complaints and feedback forms, including access from overseas.
We may also disclose your personal information to the following people, organisations or third parties:
- other government agencies, such as the Department of Finance which assists us in maintain our website
- other parties where the disclosure is authorised by law
- other parties to whom the Department may handover managing the NDDA website
- where you use a web-based email account where data is stored on an overseas server, to this server.
All entities contracted by us are subject to strict confidentiality, privacy and security obligations.
The Department will take reasonable steps to ensure that your information is protected and handled in accordance with relevant legal requirements.
More information
More information about how Intuit Mailchimp manages your personal information is set out in their Privacy Policy.
Our Privacy Policy. contains more information about how you can access any personal information that we hold, and how to seek correction of that personal information. It also contains information about how to make a complaint about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, as set out in the Privacy Act. If you have any concerns or questions, you can contact us at complaints@dss.gov.au.
Consent and acknowledgement
You acknowledge that you have read or have had this collection notice read to you and you confirm that you understand it. You consent to us collecting your personal information and handling it in accordance with this privacy collection notice and Privacy Policy where you submit your details in the contact us form or completing the subscription form,
You may unsubscribe from the NDDA subscriber list at any time by using the opt out mechanism at the bottom of emails from us, where you can advise us that you want to be removed from the subscription list. Alternatively, you may email us and request to be removed.