Privacy/Disclaimer

Mackay Regional Council is committed to helping you protect your privacy.

The information provided by you and information retrieved from databases held by the council and displayed to you online is intended for the sole use of the authenticated user for the purpose of enhancing customer interaction with council and in the provision of information and e-services.

Authorised council staff and contractors may access this information, upon your request or to assist you in using the service.

Except as otherwise stated, personal information you choose to provide will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided and will not be disclosed to other persons or organisations without your prior consent or if required by law.

Display of information

Mackay Regional Council takes care in the presentation of it's website and every effort is made to make the website as accessible as possible for the general public. However please note for best results when viewing this website the latest version of your internet web browser is recommended. Some older versions may change or restrict your ability to view the website in its entirety.

Disclaimer

The content of the Mackay Regional Council's website is provided for information purposes only. Although Mackay Regional Council makes every attempt to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information on this site, Mackay Regional Council makes no claim as to the accuracy or authenticity of such content. Furthermore, Mackay Regional Council does not accept any liability whatsoever for any information or advice provided on this website or incorporated into it by reference. Mackay Regional Council does not accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage incurred (including consequential loss or damage) however caused which may arise either directly or indirectly as a result of the use of the information or arising out of the provision of the information on this website, or as a result of reliance placed upon the content of this website.

Copyright and intellectual property

The information contained within this website is the property of Mackay Regional Council. Information may be downloaded, displayed, printed and copied in an unaltered form only. It is not to be distributed or used for commercial purposes without the permission of the Chief Executive Officer of Mackay Regional Council. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved.

Privacy

Queensland has privacy legislation which applies to the Queensland public sector – the Information Privacy Act 2009 (IP Act). The IP Act contains privacy principles which set out how agencies may and must handle personal information. Personal Information means any information about an identifiable person.

The Mackay Regional Council Information Privacy Policy(PDF, 692KB) sets out details of the types of personal information we hold and how we handle this information.

Mackay Regional Council is committed to protecting the privacy of our website users. We understand and appreciate that visitors to, and users of, this website, are concerned about their privacy and the confidentiality and security of information they provide to us.

As a general rule, we do not collect information that can directly identify you when you visit our site. When you visit our site to read or download information, our web measurement tool and internet providers records the following information only for statistical purposes.

  • your server (IP) address
  • the name of the top level domain (for example, .gov, .com, .edu, .au)
  • the type of browser used
  • the date and time you accessed the site
  • the previous site visited
  • the pages accessed and documents downloaded.

These statistics provide information to assist us to make improvements to the content and structure of our website.

We collect personal information via online forms or by email communications for the purposes for which you have provided them and will not be added to any mailing lists without your prior consent. We will not use, disclose or distribute your details to any other source, without your prior written consent.

View council's Information Privacy Policy(PDF, 692KB) which sets out our legislative obligations and approach to managing, handling and protecting the personal information of internal and external customer.

Email correspondence

Your email address details will not be added to a mailing list nor will we disclose these details to third parties without your consent, unless required by law. Email messages may be monitored by our information technology staff for system trouble-shooting and maintenance purposes.

Cookies

Cookies are text files that a website can transfer to your computer when you access information on that site. Cookies allow websites to recognise you as you browse their websites.

Public records

Email correspondence, blog comments and information provided via web forms can constitute public records and can be retained as required by the Public Records Act 2002 and other relevant legislation.

Use and disclosure

We will only use personal information collected via our website for the purpose for which it was given to use and/or for related, internal management purposes.

We do not disclose your personal information to other government agencies, organisations or anyone else unless one of the following applies.

  • you consented to the disclosure
  • you would have a reasonable expectation that your personal information would be disclosed
  • it is required or authorised by law
  • it will prevent or lessen a serious threat to somebody's life or health; and
  • the disclosure is reasonable necessary for a law enforcement activity.

Security

We take strong precautions to protect the personal information we hold concerning you from loss, unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure, and against other misuse.

However, please be aware we do not provide a mechanism for securing the transmission of information across the Internet.

Links to other sites

This website contains links to other websites for the convenience of visitors however Mackay Regional Council is not responsible for the content and privacy practices of other websites.

How to contact us

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact Mackay Regional Council.

Collection and use of personal information

Council is authorised or required under various legislation to collect your personal information.

Collection and use of personal information

Council may collect your personal information so that we can use it for the following purposes:

  • to review and consider any applications or submissions you have submitted to council (for example, development and building applications, applications for food or entertainment permits)
  • to process any council-related payments or transactions which you make with us (for example, payment of your council rates), and to identify you and protect you from unauthorised access to your personal or council account information
  • to carry out any council inspections (for example, building inspections and food or health inspections)
  • to facilitate and organise Civic and council's community, cultural, corporate, local, national and international events, functions, forums and programs (including citizenship, prizes and awards ceremonies), and where necessary to check your eligibility and record your attendance at such events
  • to inform you of council and local news and developments or to notify you of council-related developments or events which you have requested to be notified of (for example, council newsletters and notices)
  • to assess your eligibility to be a council volunteer, and to administer and coordinate council's volunteer programs and to communicate with our volunteers
  • to protect your safety, security and wellbeing at council-controlled venues, events, functions, forums and programs
  • to answer any search requests submitted by a member of the public for publicly available information (for example, property-related searches)
  • to register your pets and animals
  • to respond to any communications and correspondence you send to us (which includes answering any queries, and dealing with any feedback or complaints you have)
  • if you are a council employee or have applied for employment at council - to process your employment application, and to process any employment related tasks at any time (for example, to verify employment related matters and information, grant you building and IT access, to manage your salary arrangements)
  • to investigate any complaints lodged by you in connection with council, its employees, or its functions and activities
  • to provide you with any council information, services or products you have requested or are designed to better serve or promote Mackay Regional Council
  • to assist us to determine your needs and requirements to enable us to provide you with the appropriate council services and information you have requested (for example, to direct your call or enquiry to the relevant council department who can assist you)
  • to maintain any council information databases, records or registers including those that we are required under Federal or State legislation to maintain
  • to administer and enforce any legislation which council is required to administer and enforce
  • to verify any information you have provided to us
  • to get in touch with you should we need to
  • to take any other further action which we are required or authorised by law to take, including any investigative, enforcement and recovery action
  • to otherwise perform our functions, duties and activities. This includes but is not limited to any statutory duties we have, including those to other government bodies

The kinds of personal information we collect may include your:

  • name
  • residential address
  • postal address
  • date of birth
  • gender
  • telephone numbers
  • email address
  • photo and video images (for example, from security cameras at council-controlled venues)
  • addresses of your property whether owned or leased by you
  • credit card information
  • bank account details
  • driver licence details
  • passport details
  • details of your eligibility for child related employment (for example details of your "blue card" and related correspondence) whether as employee, volunteer or otherwise
  • your vehicle description and registration details
  • details of your assets and liabilities, property(ies), your and your invitees' interactions with the council (including council officers, application forms, decisions by the council and enforcement actions by the council affecting you, your property(ies) or your invitee(s)
  • details of any pets or animals owned by you or registered in your name and any of your interactions with the council regarding such pets or animals
  • if you have requested council to provide you with certain health-related services (for example, under council's immunisation, Home Assist or Steps to Success programs) - medical history, employment history, educational qualifications, family history, assets and liabilities
  • copies of correspondence exchanged between council and you, including council records of any interactions council has had with you
  • if you are a council employee - your council employee ID, employee file, payroll number and your tax file number

As far as possible, we will collect personal information directly from you (for example, during personal meetings, phone conversations, from the council's website or social media or during council's interactions with you including by correspondence or when considering your enquiries, complaints or applications).

However, in certain circumstances, we may collect your personal information from a third party, for example:

  • if you are a minor - your parents or guardian
  • other Government departments and bodies (for example, the Department of Communities)
  • your current or former employer (for example, to obtain a reference check if you are applying for employment with the council)
  • Council and other databases (for example, to obtain information about your properties in the event of any enforcement action)

 

 

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