Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important

This statement outlines Community Response Australia Inc’s policy on how the Community Response Australia Inc uses and manages personal information provided to or collected by it.

Community Response Australia Inc is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act and is compliant with the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012. In relation to health records, Community Response Australia Inc is also bound by the Victorian Health Privacy Principles which are contained in the Health Records Act 2001.

Community Response Australia Inc may, from time to time, review and update this Privacy Policy to take account of new laws and technology, changes to Community Response Australia Inc’s operations and practices and to make sure it remains appropriate to the changing legal environment.

This privacy policy assumes that you are resident in Australia.  If you are resident in the UK or Europe, please contact us for more information regarding how we treat your personal information.

What kind of personal information does Community Response Australia Inc collect and how does the Community Response Australia Inc collect it?

The type of information the Community Response Australia Inc collects and holds includes (but is not limited to) personal information, including sensitive information, about:

  • delivering services
  • establishing and maintaining commercial arrangements
  • engaging with donors
  • working with volunteers
  • maintaining membership records
  • recording the activities of the organisation.

Personal Information you provide

Community Response Australia Inc will generally collect personal information held about an individual by way of phone calls, forms and meetings. You do have the right to seek to deal with us anonymously or using a pseudonym, but in almost every circumstance it will not be practicable for us to deal with you or provide any services to you except for the most general responses to general enquiries, unless you identify yourself.

Personal Information provided by other people

In some circumstances Community Response Australia Inc may be provided with personal information about an individual from a third party.

In relation to employee records

Under the Privacy Act the Australian Privacy Principles do not apply to an employee record. As a result, this Privacy Policy does not apply to Community Response Australia Inc’s treatment of an employee record, where the treatment is directly related to a current or former employment relationship between the Community Response Australia Inc and employee. However, Community Response Australia Inc must provide access and ensure compliance with the Health Privacy Principles under the Victorian Health Records Act 2001.

How will Community Response Australia Inc use the personal information you provide?

Community Response Australia Inc will use personal information it collects from you for the primary purpose of collection, and for such other secondary purposes that are related to the primary purpose of collection and reasonably expected, or to which you have consented.

In relation to direct marketing, Community Response Australia Inc will use your personal information for direct marketing where you have provided that information, and you are likely to expect direct marketing: only then you will be sent direct marketing containing an opt out. If we use your personal information obtained from elsewhere we will still send you direct marketing information where you have consented and which will also contain an opt out. We will always obtain your consent to use sensitive information as the basis for any of our direct marketing.

We may use video surveillance for security purposes and the footage will be used only by Community Response Australia Inc and by the providers of our security services for security purposes. Surveillance videos are not used by Community Response Australia Inc for other purposes and the footage is not publicly available. Surveillance cameras are not located in any bathrooms or change room facilities.

Job applicants, staff members and contractors

In relation to personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors, Community Response Australia Inc’s primary purpose of collection is to assess and (if successful) to engage the applicant, staff member or contractor, as the case may be.

The purposes for which Community Response Australia Inc uses personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors include:

  • for insurance purposes;
  • for payment purposes;
  • for the purpose of contacting the applicant, staff member or contractor regarding the business of Community Response Australia Inc;
  • to satisfy Community Response Australia Inc’s legal obligations.

Volunteers

Community Response Australia Inc also obtains personal information about volunteers who assist Community Response Australia Inc in its functions or conduct associated activities, such as to enable Community Response Australia Inc and the volunteers to work together.

Marketing and fundraising

Community Response Australia Inc treats marketing and seeking donations for the future growth and development of Community Response Australia Inc as important.  Personal information held by the Community Response Australia Inc may be disclosed to an organisation that assists in Community Response Australia Inc’s fundraising.

Who might Community Response Australia Inc disclose personal information to?

Community Response Australia Inc may disclose personal information, including sensitive information, held about an individual to:

  • government departments;
  • people providing services to Community Response Australia Inc;
  • anyone you authorise Community Response Australia Inc to disclose information to.

We may use overseas providers of IT services including servers and cloud services. For example, our web and email marketing servers are located in the United States of America.

How does Community Response Australia Inc treat sensitive information?

In referring to ‘sensitive information’, Community Response Australia Inc means:

“information relating to a person’s racial ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional or trade association membership, sexual orientation or criminal record, that is also personal information; and health information about an individual”.

Sensitive information will be used and disclosed only for the purpose for which it was provided or a directly related secondary purpose, unless you agree otherwise, or the use or disclosure of the sensitive information is allowed by law.

Management and security of personal information

Community Response Australia Inc’s staff are required to respect the confidentiality of personal information and the privacy of individuals.

Community Response Australia Inc has in place steps to protect the personal information Community Response Australia Inc holds from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, interference or disclosure by use of various methods including locked storage of paper records and passworded access rights to computerised records.

We have a data breach response plan, which we would follow in the unlikely event of a privacy or data breach.

When you use our website, having your cookies enabled will allow us to maintain the continuity of your browsing session and remember your details when you return. We may also use web beacons, Flash local stored objects and JavaScript. If you adjust your browser settings to block, reject or delete these functions, the webpage may not function in an optimal manner. We may also collect information about your IP address, although this may not identify you.

Updating personal information

Community Response Australia Inc endeavours to ensure that the personal information it holds is accurate, complete and up-to-date. A person may seek to update their personal information held by Community Response Australia Inc by contacting the Privacy Officer of Community Response Australia Inc at any time.

The Australian Privacy Principles and the Health Privacy Principles require Community Response Australia Inc not to store personal information longer than necessary. In particular, the Health Privacy Principles impose certain obligations about the length of time health records must be stored.

You have the right to check what personal information Community Response Australia Inc holds about you.

Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act and the Health Records Act, an individual has the right to obtain access to any personal information which Community Response Australia Inc holds about them and to advise Community Response Australia Inc of any perceived inaccuracy. There are some exceptions to this right set out in the applicable legislation. To make a request to access any information Community Response Australia Inc holds about you, please contact the Privacy Officer in writing.

Community Response Australia Inc may require you to verify your identity and specify what information you require. Although no fee will be charged for accessing your personal information or making a correction, Community Response Australia Inc may charge a fee to retrieve and copy any material.If the information sought is extensive, Community Response Australia Inc will advise the likely cost in advance.

How long will Community Response Australia Inc keep my information?

Under our destruction and de-identification policies, your personal information that is no longer required will be de-identified or destroyed. In many circumstances, however it will be kept for marketing purposes, as you will have consented to that in writing with us.

Enquiries and privacy complaints

If you would like further information about the way Community Response Australia Inc manages the personal information it holds, please contact the Privacy Officer. If you have any concerns, complaints or you think there has been a breach of privacy, then also please contact the Privacy Officer who will first deal with you usually over the phone. If we then have not dealt satisfactorily with your concerns we will meet with you to discuss further. If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint within 30 days from this meeting then you can refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner via:

  • email:  enquiries@oaic.gov.au
  • tel:  1300 363 992
  • fax:  +61 2 9284 9666