Last Updated 6 June, 2022

Background and scope

APSCo Australia is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information it collects and receives. We are required to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act).

This policy explains how APSCo Australia collects, uses, discloses and otherwise handles personal information relating to individuals, whether or not they are Members. It also explains how you can ask to access and correct the personal information we hold about you or complain about any suspected privacy breach. Nothing in this policy limits any of our other obligations at law.

Collection of personal information

APSCo Australia is required to collect personal information only by lawful and fair means. Where possible we will collect personal information we require directly from you.

Personal information we hold may include your name, current and previous addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, details of your qualifications and interests and additional information we require to perform our services for you.

Personal information entered into the APSCo Australia database will not be used or disclosed by us, except as authorised by you, to perform our services for you. Access to this information to third parties can only be granted by you.

Should you choose not to provide personal information we may not be able to provide you with the services you require at a sufficient level that we regard as important for performing at best practice.

We may collect personal information:

·         from the information supplied by you to APSCo Australia

·         in conversation and communication with you

·         from third parties including related companies or your nominated company representatives

·         from publicly available sources of information

·         when we are required to do so by law

·         from our own records of your Membership of APSCo Australia

Where APSCo Australia collects your personal information, APSCo Australia will take reasonable steps to notify you of:

·         the purposes for which we are collecting the information

·         the third parties to whom we may disclose the information of that kind

·         whether any of those third parties are located overseas and, if practicable to specify, the countries in which they are located

·         how to access and correct personal information and make privacy complaints or undertake a data breach notification

APSCo Australia will only collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for our core functions or activities. For example, we may collect:

·         information about your Membership of other professional associations to review your professional commitment

·         information about previous qualifications and/or training history to undertake Recognised Prior Learning review

·         information about dietary requirements for events and conferences

·         identification of access requirements for the purpose of attending venues and events.

Cookies through the APSCo Australia website

Most internet browsers are set to accept cookies. If you prefer not to receive them, you can adjust your internet browser to reject cookies, or to notify you when they are being used. Rejecting cookies can, however, limit the functionality of our website.

Use and disclosure of personal information

Your personal information may be used by us to:

·         provide products and services to you

·         collect payments and to administer your account

·         provide you with updated or new information about our products and services

·         develop of existing and new products and services

·         maintain and update our business infrastructure and systems

In providing our products and services, or collecting and using your personal information, your personal information may be disclosed to third party organisations including:

·         APSCo service providers (training, business standards, IT support)

·         event organisers

·         our legal, accounting, financial or other professional advisors through the APSCo Assists Advice Line

·         regulatory, government and other authorities as required by law

·         members of APSCo Australia committees

Opting out

By providing us with your contact details, your consent to receive communications and direct marketing will remain current until you advise us otherwise. However, you can opt out at any time through the following channels:

·         by Email – notify info@apscoau.org

·         use the unsubscribe facility that we include in our electronic messages such as emails and newsletters

Unsolicited information

Unsolicited personal information is personal information we receive that we have taken no active steps to collect. If the information we receive is not required for APSCo Australia to perform one or more of our services or activities, APSCo Australia will destroy or de-identify the information as soon as practicable.

Quality of personal information

APSCo Australia takes reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up-to-date. However, the accuracy of that information depends to a large extent on the information you provide.

We recommend that you:

·         let us know if there are any errors in your personal information

·         keep us up-to-date with changes to your information

Security of personal information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information we hold from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

You can also help to protect the privacy of your personal information by keeping passwords secure and by ensuring that you log out of the website when you have completed your transaction. If you become aware of any security breach, please contact the APSCo Australia Secretariat as soon as possible.

We will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information if it is no longer needed for any purpose for which the information may be used or disclosed.

APSCo Australia is not responsible for the privacy or security of third party websites that you access via links on the APSCo Australia website.

Access to personal information

You are able to access your personal information that we hold, with some exceptions, as allowed by law. To obtain a copy of your personal information, write to the APSCo Australia Secretariat requesting the information and we will provide it to you. We reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for the provision of this information. If we refuse your request, or if we refuse to give you access in the manner you requested, APSCo Australia's policy is to provide you with written confirmation of the reasons for our refusal and the available complaint process.

Members can access and update their contact details by logging in to the Member-only area of the website. For any personal information that can't be accessed and corrected through the website please contact the APSCo Australia Secretariat.

Complaints

If you have a complaint about how APSCo Australia has collected, stored or used your personal information, please contact the APSCo Australia Secretariat. We will endeavour to deal with your complaint and take any steps necessary to resolve the matter within five business days.

If your complaint is unable to be resolved within five business days, APSCo Australia will advise you in writing including letting you know when we expect to provide our response.

If you are unhappy with our response, you can refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Please contact APSCo Australia if you have any queries about the personal information that APSCo Australia holds about you or the way we use or disclose that personal information. Our contact details are set out below.

Contact us

APSCo Australia
Office Location: Suite 1022, Lvl 10, Tower 4, World Trade Centre, 611 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3005
Email: info@apscoau.org
ACN: 143 665 025