Privacy Policy

FOR EXTERNAL USE/PRIVACY ACT COMPLIANCE – May 2025

Your privacy is important.

This statement outlines South West Compassionate Communities Australia Network’s (SWCCN) policy on how SWCCN uses and manages personal information provided to or collected by it.

SWCCN is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988.

SWCCN will, from time to time, review and update this Privacy Policy to take account of new laws and technology, changes to SWCCN’s operations and practices, and to make sure it remains appropriate to the changing legal environment. SWCCN will advertise changes to those on our database and ensure the most current version is available on the SWCCN website.

This privacy policy assumes that you are a resident in Australia. If you are not a resident, please contact SWCCN for more information regarding how SWCCN treats your personal information.

What kind of personal information does SWCCN collect and how does SWCCN collect it?

The type of information SWCCN collects and holds includes (but is not limited to) personal information including name, email, postcode and telephone number. Secure third-party platforms are used for any financial transactions should this be required. Payment details (bank account/credit card) are not stored.

Personal Information you provide:
SWCCN will generally collect personal information held about an individual by way of phone calls, forms, meetings etc. You have the right to deal with SWCCN anonymously or using a pseudonym.

Personal Information provided by other people:
In some circumstances, SWCCN may be provided with personal information about an individual from a third party. For example, when a ticketing platform is used, contact details of registrants will be shared with us.

In relation to employee records:
Under the Privacy Act the Australian Privacy Principles do not apply to an employee record. As a result, this Privacy Policy does not apply to SWCCN’s treatment of an employee record, where the treatment is directly related to a current or former employment relationship between SWCCN and employees.

How will SWCCN use the personal information you provide?
SWCCN will only use your personal information for the purpose it was provided, such as receiving newsletters and registering for events. Any additional use will be based on your explicit requests.

SWCCN will send you direct marketing information if you have consented. This will include an opt-out option. SWCCN will always obtain your consent for any direct marketing.

Explicit consent will be sought for any video footage obtained as part of workshops, forums, etc. for use in educational or marketing purposes.

Job applicants, staff members and contractors:

In relation to the personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors, SWCCN’s primary purpose of collection is to assess and (if successful) to

The purposes for which SWCCN uses personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors include:

for insurance purposes;
to satisfy SWCCN’s legal obligations.

Where SWCCN receives unsolicited job applications these will usually be dealt with by the unsolicited personal information requirements of the Privacy Act.

Volunteers:
SWCCN also obtains personal information about volunteers who assist SWCCN in its functions or conduct associated activities, such as to enable SWCCN and the volunteers to work together.

Marketing and fundraising:
SWCCN treats marketing and seeking donations for the future growth and development of SWCCN as important. Personal information held by SWCCN may be disclosed to an organisation that assists in fundraising if you have consented.

Who might SWCCN disclose personal information to?
SWCCN will only disclose personal information with your consent, including sensitive information, held about an individual to:
• people providing services to SWCCN;
• anyone you authorise SWCCN to disclose information to.

Sending information overseas:
SWCCN may disclose personal information about an individual to overseas recipients, for instance, when storing personal information with ‘cloud’ service providers which are situated outside Australia. However, SWCCN will not send personal information about an individual outside Australia without:
• obtaining the consent of the individual (in some cases this consent will be implied); or
• otherwise complying with the Australian Privacy Principles or other applicable privacy legislation.

How does SWCCN treat sensitive information?
In referring to ‘sensitive information’, SWCCN means:
‘Information relating to a person’s racial ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional or trade association membership, or criminal record, that is also personal information; and health information about an individual’.

Sensitive information will be used and disclosed only for the purpose for which it was requested and provided or a directly related secondary purpose unless you agree otherwise, or the use or disclosure of the sensitive information is allocated by law.

Management and security of personal information:
SWCCN staff are required to respect the confidentiality of personal information and the privacy of individuals.

SWCCN has in place steps to protect the personal information SWCCN holds from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, interference or disclosure by use of various methods including locked storage of paper records and passworded access rights to computerised records.

SWCCN has a data breach response plan, which SWCCN will follow in the event of a privacy or data breach. SWCCN takes any breach seriously and will contact you and those affected.

When you use our website, having your cookies enabled will allow SWCCN to maintain the continuity of your browsing session and remember your details when you return. If you adjust your browser settings to block, reject or delete these functions, the website may not function optimally. SWCCN may also collect information about your IP address, although this may not identify you.

Updating personal information:
SWCCN endeavours to ensure the personal information it holds is accurate, complete and up to date. A person may seek to update their personal information held by SWCCN by contacting the Privacy Oaicer or delegated person of SWCCN at any time.

The Australian Privacy Principles and the Health Privacy Principles require SWCCN not to store personal information longer than necessary. In particular, the Health Privacy Principles impose certain obligations about the length of time health records must be stored.

You have the right to check what personal information SWCCN holds about you. Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act and the Health Records Act, an individual has the right to obtain access to any personal information that SWCCN holds about them and to advise SWCCN of any perceived inaccuracy. There are some exceptions to this right set out in the applicable legislation. To request access to any information SWCCN
holds about you, please contact the Privacy Officer (or delegated person) in writing.

SWCCN may require you to verify your identity and specify what information you require. No fee will be charged for accessing your personal information or making a correction.

How long will SWCCN keep my information?
No data retention period is established under the Privacy Act. However, SWCCN must take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify the personal information it holds once it is no longer needed for the purpose for which the personal information may be used or disclosed.

Enquiries and privacy complaints:
If you would like further information about the way the SWCCN manages the personal information it holds, please contact the Privacy Oaicer (or delegated person). If you have any concerns, or complaints, or you think there has been a breach of privacy, please contact the Privacy Oaicer (or delegated person). SWCCN will contact you usually by email or phone. If SWCCN has not dealt satisfactorily with your concerns SWCCN will meet with you to discuss further. If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint within 30 days from this meeting, you can refer your complaint to the Oaice of the Australian Information Commissioner.

The South West Compassionate Communities Network acknowledges the Noongar community as the traditional owners and custodians of Country in the South West of Western Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.