Privacy

Introduction

Ku-ring-gai Council is committed to the appropriate handling, storage and use of your personal and health information. This statement outlines our practices relating to personal information.

Council has adopted a Privacy Management Plan(PDF, 1MB) in accordance with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (the PPIP Act). It is recommended that you read the Privacy Management Plan prior to submitting any personal information to us.

The objectives of our Privacy Management Plan are:

  • explain Council’s commitment to protecting the privacy of members of the public;
  • assist Council staff and councillors understand and comply with their legal obligations in managing personal and health information;
  • describe how members of the public can request access to personal or health information that is held by Council, how it can be amended and how privacy complaints are handled.

What is personal and health information?

Personal information is any information that identifies an individual and includes:

  • written records which include an individual’s name, address and other details;
  • financial information;
  • photographs, images, video or audio footage;
  • fingerprints, blood or DNA samples.

Personal information does not include:

  • information about an individual that is contained in a publicly available publication;
  • information about an individual who has been dead for more than 30 years;
  • information about an individual that is contained in a public interest disclosure, or that has been collected in the course of an investigation arising out of a public interest disclosure;
  • information or an opinion about an individual’s suitability for appointment or employment as a public sector official.

Health information is a specific type of personal information which contains information about an individual’s physical or mental health or disability. It includes:

  • personal information an individual provides to any health organisation;
  • a health service provided to an individual;
  • a health service that is going to be provided to an individual;
  • a health service an individual has asked to be provided to them;
  • some personal information for organ donation;
  • some genetic information about an individual, their relatives or descendants.

Collecting information from you

We may collect personal information from you when you interact with us, such as when you make an inquiry, complete a form or subscribe to our newsletter.

We will only collect personal information directly from you, or your authorised agent. The information collected will be for lawful purposes directly related to the functions of Council.  We will only request information that is necessary for the purpose of the collection, is proportionate and respectful of the privacy principles. If you do not wish to provide personal information to us, Council may be unable to provide you with the services required.

In accordance with the Privacy Act, you can request that we suppress your personal information from a public register held by Council.

How we store your personal information

Subject to the duties on Council under the State Records Act, Council will store your personal information on our secure electronic systems, keep it no longer than necessary and dispose of it appropriately.

We take all reasonable care to ensure that the personal information we collect and use is accurate, complete and up to date.

How we use your personal information

Your information will generally only be used for the purpose for which it was collected, and for other purposes for which you have given your consent. We may also use your information to let you know about Council services or other information, or to understand community and customer needs to improve our services.

We may also need to share data containing personal information to contractors and third parties who deliver a service on our behalf. We take appropriate measures to safeguard the security and confidentiality of personal information we share. We will only share personal information in accordance with our Privacy Management Plan and the relevant laws.

We will generally only disclose your personal information if you have consented to the disclosure or if the disclosure is required or authorised by law.

Development applications

Council receives and holds personal information as part of the development application (DA) process. This includes information lodged by applicants, and information in the form of submissions or objections to the proposed DA by third parties.

Council is required to make DAs and submissions publicly available on its website. This is because they are important to transparent and accountable decision-making and are classified as “open access information” under Section 6 of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (the GIPA Act).

In accordance with the GIPA Act and the PPIP Act, Council may restrict publication of your personal details such as signatures, phone numbers, email addresses and postal addresses where practicable. However, some of this information may be disclosed if it is considered integral to the decision-making process.

To determine whether to disclose information, Council will apply the public interest test, defined in section 13 of the GIPA Act. Please note that by making your submission, you should be aware of this process and understand that submissions may also be provided to other government agencies if legally required.

If you are concerned that disclosure of this information would place you or a family member at risk, you may apply under section 739 of the Local Government Act 1993 to prevent the release of your home address. An application of this type must be supported by a statutory declaration to that effect.

How to access, correct or update your personal information

You have the right to access and correct the personal information we hold about you.

If you want to know exactly what personal information Council is holding about you, you can request this information by contacting our Privacy Officer.

You can apply to amend your personal information to ensure it is relevant, up to date and complete and not misleading.

Cookies

Like most websites, Council uses cookies to allow you log in to your account. They help us understand our audience and improve the user experience. These cookies only last while you are browsing our website and are not stored on your computer. You can adjust your browser settings to disable or receive warnings about cookies if you prefer.

While we take reasonable measures to protect your personal information, it is important to remember that transmitting data over the internet is never completely secure. We cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us electronically. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any passwords or account details used on our website.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or applications. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those third parties before providing any personal information.

Children's privacy

All reasonable steps are taken to protect the privacy of children. Council will generally ask a parent or guardian to provide personal information about children and young people under the age of 16.

How to contact us

If you have any questions please contact Council’s Privacy Officer on governance@krg.nsw.gov.au or (02) 9424 0000.