Privacy statement

Privacy Statement

This website is maintained by Rous County Council and managed in accordance with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998, which regulates how NSW government organisations collect, store, use and disclose personal information.

You can find more information about our approach to the management and handling of personal information in our Privacy Management Policy.

Your personal information

We use our website for a range of purposes:

• Promoting our work, what we do and our area of operation,
• Providing assistance to our customers,
• Educating the community on water saving initiatives.

The personal information we collect through the website includes:

• The content of any electronic forms submitted through the website,
• Any messages, comments or online enquiries submitted through the website or to email addresses displayed on the website,
• Website statistics and cookies.

Any personal information you provide to us will only be used and disclosed for the purpose for which it was collected or a directly related purpose. The exception to this is where you consent to your personal information being used or disclosed for another purpose, or where we are required or permitted by law to use or disclose it for another purpose.

We will not publish your personal information on our website without your permission. For statistical or reporting purposes personal information is pooled and de-identified.

Please note that it is a term and condition of application of some types of financial or account assistance that details such as your name, address and water account information are publicly reported. Where a matter must be reported to and determined by Council a written report will be prepared and may be published and available on the Rous County Council website. If when applying for financial or account assistance you have questions or concerns about the reporting of your personal information please contact Rous County Council on (02) 6623 3800 and ask to speak with a representative of Council’s Water Billing Team.

Email

Information such as your email address that is collected by Rous County Council through online messages such as the Contact Form is used to reply to your enquiry and such other purposes related to Rous County Council’s operations.

Rous County Council will place your email on its mailing list where you voluntarily elect to receive newsletters relating to its operations. Rous County Council will not place your email address on a mailing list or any other contact register without your permission. You may withdraw your permission at any time by contacting Rous County Council on (02) 6623 3800.

Website statistics and cookies

We use Google Analytics to collect and view website traffic information. We also use cookies and session tools to improve your experience when accessing our website. This information is collected, pooled and reported back to Rous County Council by a third party contract. Rous County Council uses this information to establish and better understand patterns of website usage so that, among other things, it can continue to refine the content and improve the usability of the site for its users.

The information Google Analytics may collect and/or store on our behalf while you are on our site includes, but is not limited to:

1. IP (internet protocol), address and type of browser operating on the computer you are using,
2. Top level domain name such as .au/.com/.uk/.gov,
3. Address of your server,
4. Date and time of your visit,
5. Pages accessed and documents downloaded,

The information Google Analytics collects may change from time to time. You are encouraged to keep informed of these changes by visiting the Google Analytics website at: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.

Security and storage of personal information

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that any personal information held by us is protected from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. Information that is held and stored, includes:

• Enquiries and applications made to Rous County Council through our website, which will be stored in Council’s records management system,
• Website statistics and cookies, stored with Google Analytics.

We will only hold personal information for as long as is reasonably required.

Links to external websites

Please note that Rous County Council does not take responsibility for the privacy policies or practices of any third party site linked to this website.

Access and correction of personal information

In accordance with Council’s Privacy Management Policy, you have the right to access and correct your personal information.

To view and correct your personal information, you need to make an application in writing to the General Manager, Rous County Council, PO Box 230, Lismore NSW 2480. Please note that as part of the application process, you will be asked to verify your identity.

If you have further questions in relation to Rous County Council’s management or handling of personal information including how to access or correct your personal information, you can contact us on (02) 6623 3800.