Privacy statement

Users of this website are entitled to expect that any information collected as a result of that use will be treated within the terms of the New South Wales Government's privacy responsibilities and obligations. The New South Wales Government's privacy practices are regulated by the New South Wales Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002.

By using this website, applications and services, or otherwise providing us with your information, you acknowledge and agree to us collecting, holding, using and disclosing your personal information as described in this Privacy Statement. If you do not wish to be bound by this Statement, you should not access or otherwise use this website or services.

What information do we collect?

When you look at the pages on this website, our computers automatically record information that identifies, for each page accessed:

the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the machine which has accessed it
your top-level domain name (for example .com, .gov, .au, .uk etc.)
the address of your server
the date and time of your visit to the site
the pages accessed, documents downloaded and keywords searched on the website
the previous website visited
the type of browser and operating system you have used
the number of screen colours displayed on the device
the time spent on each page.

Only some of this information may be considered personal information.
We may also collect your personal information and health information if you register to use the website and/or use the feedback facilities on this website. See below for Why do we collect feedback and form information? and Registering to the site.

How do we collect this information?

Cookies

'Cookies' are small pieces of text data that a web server can store on, and later retrieve from, a user's computer. They do not personally identify you, but do identify your browser. Cookies can be either 'persistent' or 'session' based. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer, contain an expiration date, and may be used to track your browsing behaviour upon return to the issuing web site. Session cookies are short-lived, are used only during a browsing session, and expire when you shut down your browser.

This website uses persistent cookies.

They record your preferences in relation to your use of the website and provide us with other information about your enquiry that allows us to recognise your browser if you return to this website in the future. This allows the Departments to present information that may be most relevant to you based on your previous visits. They also help the Departments to understand what parts of the website users find the most useful and improve the effectiveness of the website.

The cookies on this website do not read the information on your hard drive. They do not make your computer perform any actions or make your computer send information to any other computer via the internet. The Departments make no attempt to associate cookies with users' names or identities. Our server cannot find out your name or email address, or anything about your computer, by using cookies.

Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a reporting service provided by Google, Inc. (‘Google’) and its subsidiaries. Google Analytics uses ‘cookies’ to help us analyse how users navigate the website. The information generated by cookies about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States.

Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity.

Google may also transfer this information to third parties, where required to do so by law or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. Please note, whoever, if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website.

By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above. For more details visit Google Analytics Terms of Service.

Facebook Pixel use

The Departments use Facebook remarketing pixels to aid in customised, targeted follow-up advertising. The Departments may display interest-based ads to you when you are using Facebook through Facebook’s Custom Audience Tool. This tool allows us to personalise our ads based on your interests, demographics, location and any previous interactions with us.

This website ( https://customerservicensw.engagementhq.com/ shown as haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au ) uses the Conversion Tracking Facebook Pixel to allow us to follow your actions once you have been redirected to the website via clicking on one of our Facebook ads. This assists us in recording the effectiveness of Facebook ads for reporting and market research purposes.

The data collected through the Facebook Pixel and provided to us is aggregated and remains anonymous, meaning that we cannot see the personal information of the individual user. However, the collected data is also saved and processed by Facebook and used in accordance with Facebook’s Data Use Policy.

The Departments may also share information about your use of this website and your interactions with our Facebook ads with our trusted social media, advertising and web analytics partners, including Google Analytics.

Facebook Conversion Tracking also allows Facebook and its partners to show you advertisements on and outside Facebook. A cookie will be saved onto your computer for these purposes.

Please visit Facebook Ad Preferences if you wish to revoke your permission.

Directly from you

If you register to use the website and/or use the feedback facilities on this website, we may collect personal information and/or health information directly from you. Providing personal information and/or health information is voluntary. See below for Why do we collect feedback and form information? and Registering to the site.

Why do we collect feedback and form information?

This website provides feedback facilities to allow users to provide input into the future development of NSW Government decision-making including for services, legislation, regulations, policies, strategies, and this website. The purpose for which personal information and/or health information is collected via the feedback facilities is to provide information and data to inform decision-making across NSW Government including in relation to services, legislation, regulations, policies, strategies and this website.

Personal information may also be requested to enable follow up for more details, for the purpose of providing a reply to your feedback, if requested. Providing personal or health information to us is voluntary. However, if you do not provide contact details we will not have any way of communicating with you. The information you provide will only be used for the purpose for which it was collected.

Registering to the site

Each of the Departments requests your email address, name and postcode so that we can provide you with regular updates through an email newsletter.

For the same purpose, the Departments may provide this information to a service provider contracted to distribute the email newsletter.

The Departments will not disclose your personal information provided as part of your registration to the website to anybody else unless we are required to do so by law - for example if the information is needed in an emergency or for a law enforcement purpose.

Providing us with the requested information is voluntary. However, if you choose not to provide us with the requested information, we cannot send you the email newsletter.
The email newsletter is offered as an ‘opt in’ subscription. You can 'opt out' at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the newsletter.

Personal information may also be collected if you register to use the feedback facilities on the website. Personal information will only be used or disclosed as permitted by legislation including to provide you with access to the feedback facilities and to collect your feedback.

Is the information stored securely?

Yes. Information collected is stored in an appropriately secure format and held by the Departments for archival purposes. When the information is no longer required for the purposes for which it was collected it is deleted.

How do we use the information collected?

The information collected during each visit is aggregated with similar logged information and published in reports in order for the Departments to identify patterns of usage of the website. This will assist us in improving this website and the services offered on it.

Personal information and/or health information provided by you via the feedback facilities on the website will be used for the purposes outlined in the Why do we collect feedback and form information? section above. Personal information collected through your request for newsletter subscriptions or your request to register to use the feedback facilities on the website will be used according to the Registering to the site section above.

Who do we disclose the information to?

Personal information and/or health information may be used or disclosed for any purpose for which it was collected or otherwise as permitted by the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002.

Personal information and/or health information collected through the feedback facilities on the website may be disclosed to other NSW Government entities for the purposes outlined in the Why do we collect feedback and form information? section above or for any other purpose for which disclosure is permitted under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 or the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002.

The Departments will not disclose or publish information that identifies individual machines, or potentially identifies sub-groupings of addresses, without consent unless it is otherwise in accordance with the New South Wales Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

We will not add your email address or name to any mailing list without your consent

Each Department may publish aggregated information about feedback on the website, to the extent that it does not identify or cannot be used to identify individual users.

Other uses and disclosures

The Departments will collect, use and disclose more extensive information than stated above in the following circumstances:

unauthorised attempts to access files which are not published on this website ( haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au) pages;
unauthorised tampering or interference with files published on this website;
unauthorised attempts to index the contents of this website by other websites;
attempts to intercept messages of other users of this website;
communications which are defamatory, abusive, vilify individuals or groups or which give rise to a suspicion that an offence is being committed; and
attempts to otherwise compromise the security of the web server, breach the laws of the State of New South Wales or Commonwealth of Australia, or interfere with the enjoyment of the website by other users.

Each of the Departments reserve the right to make disclosures to relevant authorities where the use of this website raises a suspicion that an offence is being, or has been, committed.

In the event of an investigation, each of the Departments will provide access to data to any law enforcement agency that may exercise a warrant to inspect our logs.

Who else has access to information?

The Departments capture this information on its own computers and through the use of third-party analytical software such as Google Analytics and Siteimprove. Access to the raw data is restricted to officers in each of the Departments and our service providers contracted to manage, coordinate, analyse or report on the information obtained via this website

Accessing your information

You may request access to your personal information and/or health information at any time.

If you would like to access, update or correct your personal information and/or health information held by the Department, you may sign in and update your profile, email yoursay@customerservice.nsw.gov.au or contact the Privacy Coordinator via the details below. If you would like more information about our privacy obligations or to make a complaint, please contact:

Privacy Coordinator
Department of Customer Service
2-24 Rawson Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 13 77 88
Email: Privacy@customerservice.nsw.gov.au

Will this policy be updated over time?

Due to the developing nature of privacy principles for online communication, this policy may be modified or expanded in light of new developments or issues that may arise from time to time. The amended policy will be posted to this website and will operate from the time it is posted.