Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Statement discloses what information we gather, how we use it and our obligations and your rights as set out in the Privacy Act 2020. This Statement has been prepared in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and it does not limit or exclude any of your rights under the Act.

What kind of personal information do we collect?

The personal information we collect may include your name, date of birth, addresses, email address, telephone numbers, gender, information on your use of our services or facilities and any other information provided by you in connection with, or specifically related to your communications with us or, your use of our services or facilities.

When do we collect your information?

The personal information we collect may include your name, date of birth, addresses, email address, telephone numbers, gender, information on your use of our services or facilities and any other information provided by you in connection with, or specifically related to your communications with us or, your use of our services or facilities.

Why do we collect your personal information?

We only collect your personal information when it is necessary for a specific purpose connected with the services we provide. The purpose for collecting and using your information varies according to the services you are using. In general, we collect your personal information with your consent, for example to comply with laws and regulations.

When do we collect your information?

We may collect personal information about you when you or someone acting on your behalf provides information to us directly. For example when you:

  • apply for employment with us;
  • correspond with us, whether in person, by letter, phone, text, email, instant messages or other means of electronic communication;
  • complete and submit forms we provide for applications for consents, licences, approvals, permits, funding or other authorisations or for the use of any of our services or facilities, including signing up for and using our online services and apps, such as our online payment services;
  • prepare and submit a written submission, request or other feedback in relation to applications for consents, licences, approvals, permits, funding or other authorisations, or in relation to any form of draft or proposed plan, policy, bylaw or other document;
    • use any of our services or facilities;
  • subscribe to any of our newsletter or update services;
  • follow or post comments in response to our social media or other facilities such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc;
  • We may keep a record of any information that you acquire from us;
  • We may monitor and record phone calls made to or by us for quality control or staff training purposes. If a call you make to us, or that we may make to you, is to be monitored and recorded, you will be informed of this at the time of the call;
  • We may collect personal information about you from other organisations, entities or persons, such as:
  • Our related organisations including Council Controlled Organisations
  • Our suppliers which include organisations such as:
    • Land Information New Zealand;
    • QV;
    • Solicitors/conveyancers;
    • The New Zealand Police; and
    • Credit reporting agencies and other organisations, entities and persons where you have expressly authorised them to provide us with information.

What are Cookies?

When you visit one of our websites, we may use technology solutions such as “cookies”. Cookies help us monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to your needs. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you other than the data you choose to share with us

When is Closed Circuit Television used? (CCTV)

(CCTV) is used in particular areas to monitor passenger and traffic movements, secure facilities such as libraries and recreation centres, and monitor public places in order to help reduce crime and anti- social behaviour and to promote community safety.

Signage advising of CCTV equipment will give notice of areas covered by such equipment. CCTV footage will only be viewed by authorised people in accordance with the purpose noted above or for the purposes of regularly checking the system is operational. No attempt is made to identify individuals from CCTV footage except in relation to a reported or suspected incident requiring investigation.

Body-worn cameras

Cameras may be worn by our parking wardens, wharf wardens and dog control officers as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour towards them and to provide a clear record of events if an altercation occurs. You will be advised if a staff member is recording you. The officer will only start recording if an interaction escalates and will notify those present when this occurs.

Drones

We use drones to support project work including undertaking topographical surveys of road sites where drones are a safer and more efficient than ground surveys due to difficult ground conditions.

How do we use your information?

The personal information that we collect from you or someone acting on your behalf may be used for any of the following purposes:

  • To provide you with services or facilities, including those you have requested; and assisting our Council Controlled Organisations to provide such services or facilities to you.
  • To positively confirm your identity. This is to avoid inappropriate release or use of your information.
  • To respond to correspondence or to provide you with information that you have requested.
    • To process your application for any consent, licence, approval, permit or other authorisation for which you have applied.
    • To process your application to use or to register for any of our services or facilities, including our online services.
    • To process payments received by, or made by council.
    • To respond to your requests, enquiries or feedback, or for customer care related activities.
    • To provide you with information about our events, news, services or facilities, or the events, news, services or facilities of our Council Controlled Organisations that we consider may be of interest to you.
    • To comply with relevant laws and regulations, including the storage of information on public registers e.g. Rating Information Database.
    • To carry out activities connected with the running of our business or operations such as personnel training, or testing and maintenance of computer and other systems.
    • For any specific purpose which we notify you of at the time your personal information is collected.
    • For the purpose of collecting rate payments and the protection of public revenue. You will be notified in writing.
    • For general administrative and business purposes.

Who do we share your information with?

We may disclose personal information about you to:

  • Any person engaged by the council to provide products or services to you on our behalf, where your personal information is necessary for the provision of those products or services.
  • Council Controlled Organisations, in order to assist with the functions and services that they provide.
    • A third party if we are required to do so under any laws or regulations, or in the course of legal proceedings or other investigations. This may include sharing CCTV footage with the New Zealand Police or other public sector agencies where criminal activity is reported or suspected. The New Zealand Police may also access live feeds from certain CCTV cameras from time to time, for law enforcement, investigation and emergency response purposes.
    • Any person you authorise us to disclose your personal information to.
    • Any person, if that information is held in a public register, e.g. information held on property files or the rating information database.
    • A third party contracted by the Council to provide data hosting services and who may be based in other countries. Appropriate safeguards are put in place to ensure adequate protection of information.

What happens if you fail to provide us with the personal information requested?

If you do not provide us with all of the personal information about you that we request from you, we may not be able to adequately respond to your correspondence, process any applications you have submitted, provide the services or facilities you have requested, process payments or otherwise deal with any requests or enquiries you have submitted.

In some circumstances, failure to provide information when requested may be unlawful, and/or result in legal consequences. These circumstances and the potential consequences will be explained to you when your personal information is collected.

How secure is my personal information?

We take reasonable steps to ensure personal information is protected against loss, damage, misuse and unauthorised access. We restrict access to personal information to those individuals who need access to this information in order to assist us in performing our duties and obligations and to ensure that the information we hold is accurate, up to date, complete, relevant, and not misleading.

The transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although, we will take reasonable measures to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your information transmitted and any transmission is at your own risk.

What information is part of a ‘public register’?

We are required by law to make certain information that we hold available to the public. For example:

  • The Building Act 2004 requires us to maintain a property file about each property and make this available to the public. This file may include personal information, for example in building consent applications.
  • The Resource Management Act 1991 requires us to make copies of resource consent applications publicly available.
  • The Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 requires us to make publicly available our “complete rating information database”.
  • The local electoral roll must be available for inspection in certain circumstances, under the Local Electoral Act 2001.
  • All submissions made to us during a special consultative procedure or other consultative procedure (for example submissions on proposed bylaws and the long-term plan) are usually made available to the public under the Local Government Act 2002.

How long do we hold personal information?

We may retain all personal information that we collect (on both our active systems and our archive systems), for as long as administratively necessary, in accordance with the council’s information retention and disposal schedule. The Public Records Act 2005 requires us to retain “protected records” indefinitely.

In some circumstances, your personal information may be included within a protected record, including submissions you make in relation to bylaws, annual plans, and district or regional planning instruments.

How do you access and correct your personal information?

  • Access: You have the right to know what information we hold about you, to request a copy and to request that we correct your information if inaccurate. Your rights of access to and correction of any personal information we hold about you are subject to the procedures in the Privacy Act.
  • Correction: Once we have verified your identity we will provide you with such confirmation and access unless one of the grounds for refusal to do so under the Privacy Act applies. You may request that the personal information we hold about you be corrected by emailing us at customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz. If we agree that your personal information is to be corrected we will provide you with an amended record of your personal information if requested.
  • 20 Working Days: We will endeavour to respond to your request as quickly as possible and no later than 20 working days after you make your request.

Your rights of access to and correction of any personal information we hold about you are subject to the procedures set out in the Privacy Act.

If you have concerns about your privacy

If you have any queries about this Privacy Statement or personal data we have collected, please contact us on 07 868 0200, email customer.services@tcdc.govt.nz or our postal address is: Thames-Coromandel District Council, Private Bag 1001, Thames 3540.

If you think that the Council has breached the Privacy Act or if you would like to find out more about the Council's obligations you can contact the Privacy Commissioner's privacy hotline 0800 803 909.

Complaints can be made online at www.privacy.org.nz or sent to Office of the Privacy Commissioner PO Box 10094, Wellington 6143.

 

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