PRIVACY POLICY

To help individuals better understand the personal information we gather and the practice we employ, Citizens Advice Bureau Wimmera Mallee (CAB Wimmera-Mallee) has developed a Privacy Policy that covers the following areas:

• Information collected;
• Use and disclosure of information;
• Accessing and updating information;
• Security; and
• Contact Details

CAB Wimmera-Mallee is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information.  The Privacy Policy sets out our personal information management practices.

Throughout this Privacy Policy, we refer to your ‘personal information’ which means information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a data base), that is recorded in any form and whether true or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can be reasonably ascertained, from the information or opinion.  Your home address and home telephone number are examples of personal information.

CAB Wimmera-Mallee complies with information Privacy Principles set out in Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic) and any other applicable laws to protect your privacy.

Collected information

We only collect personal information that is necessary for our functions and activities.   We will not collect personal information in unfair, unlawful or unreasonable intrusive manner.

Generally, we try to collect personal information directly from individuals, however there are certain situation that arise from time to time which we may collect personal information about individuals from someone else.   In either case, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the individual is aware of the purposes for which the information is collected.

If we are not provided with personal information requested, we may not be able to fully carry out our functions and activities.

Disclosure and use of information

We will use or disclose personal information which we collect:

• In accordance with this Privacy Policy;
• In accordance with the information Privacy Principles;
• Where you have consented to the use or disclosure; or
• For the main purposes for which we collected it, or for related purposes which you would reasonably expect, which may include

a.      Subject to the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic), to provide you with information relating to CAB Wimmera-Mallee or details about our services that may be of interest to you, unless you have previously advised us that you do not wish to be contacted for those purposes;

b.      Purposes related to CAB Wimmera-Mallee research (including market research), planning, testing, and risk management;

c.      To assist CAB Wimmera-Mallee in planning and delivering services; and

We may provide the information we collect to third parties, only with your consent to do so.   The type of third parties to whom we would usually disclose that personal information may include:

1.      Other individuals or organisations that assist us in delivering our services; events and activities.

2.      We may otherwise use or disclose personal information where required or authorised by law, which may include emergency situations and assisting law enforcement.

Accessing and updating information

If an individual wishes to request access to or to correct any personal information we hold about them, they may contact us using the ‘Contact Details’ set out below.   Individuals should provide as much detail as possible about the particular information sought, in order to help us retrieve it.   An access fee may be charged to cover our costs of providing the information in certain circumstances, we may not be allowed by law to allow access to or correction of personal information.   If that is the case we will provide our reasons for that decision.

We always take reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information we collect, use and disclose is accurate and up-to-date.

Security

We always take reasonable steps to protect all of the personal information we hold from misuse and loss and from unauthorized access, modification or disclosure.  This protection applies in relation to information stored in both electronic and hard copy form.

Contact details

If you have any questions or feedback about privacy, or you wish to make a complaint about the way in which we handled your personal information, please contact as set out below:

Email:                       citizensadvice@bigpond.com

Phone:                        (03) 5381 2233

Fax:                            (03) 5381 2614

Address:                    17 McLachlan Street, Horsham, Victoria 3400