Privacy Policy
The Shire of Merredin is committed to upholding your right to privacy in all your dealings with us. We take all reasonable steps to ensure your personal information remains securely protected.
The Shire of Merredin:
- Is bound by the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 – which is now in effect – and includes a set of rules called Information Privacy Principles (see Schedule 1 of the Act).
- Will be open and transparent on how it collects, holds, manages, uses, and discloses personal information.
- Will only collect personal information that is necessary to perform its functions and activities and only use personal information for the purposes for which it was collected, or a closely related purpose.
- Will ensure that your personal information is not disclosed to others, except if required by law or other regulations.
- Will dispose of your personal information when it is no longer required (except when it is required to be retained in compliance with the State Records Act 2000).
- Will take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is accurate, complete, and up to date and relevant for the functions or activities when we collect, disclose, or use it.
Collection Notice
A Collection Notice explains how and why the Shire collects your personal information, how we use and share it, and your rights regarding that information. We provide this notice before or at the time of collection, or as soon as possible afterward.
The Shire is committed to protecting your privacy and managing your personal data in accordance with the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA) and all other applicable laws.
What We Collect
The personal information the Shire collects depends on how you interact with us. This may include your name, contact details, property address, and any specific details or supporting documents relevant to your application or request.
Purpose of Collection
The Shire collects personal information primarily to deliver services and perform local government functions. For example, we use this information to process applications, assess compliance, conduct inspections, manage permits, register or regulate activities, or respond to your service requests.
Authority for Collection
The Shire collects personal information under various laws depending on the specific service or function. These include the Local Government Act 1995 (WA), the Planning and Development Act 2005 (WA), and their associated regulations.
Voluntary Collection
Your choice to share information with us is voluntary. We only collect what is fair and necessary to provide Shire services. For sensitive details, we will always ask for your consent unless a specific legal exception applies.
Use and Disclosure
The Shire only uses and discloses personal information for its original purpose or a directly related one. We will not share your information otherwise unless you consent, or we are authorised or required by law to share it with:
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Other government agencies, where relevant.
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Service providers engaged by the Shire to support our functions and services.
What if I don't want to provide information?
Providing your information is optional, but without it, we might not be able to process your application or provide the service you need. In some cases, missing information can cause delays or mean we have to turn down your request.
What if my information is wrong or needs updating?
You may request access to, or correction of, personal information the Shire holds about you by contacting us using the details below. Access may be refused in some circumstances – for example, where providing access would be unlawful or conflict with the Shire’s legislative obligations.
This website uses Google Analytics to help analyze how users use the site. The tool uses "cookies," which are text files placed on your computer, to collect standard Internet log information and visitor behavior information in an anonymous form. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including IP address) is transmitted to Google. This information is then used to evaluate visitors' use of the website and to compile statistical reports on website activity for the Shire of Merredin.
We will never (and will not allow any third party to) use the statistical analytics tool to track or to collect any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of visitors to our site. We will not link, or seek to link, an IP address with the identity of a computer user. We will not associate any data gathered from this site with any Personally Identifiable Information from any source, unless you explicitly submit that information via a fill-in form on our website.
This site does not gather personal information about users without their knowledge.
All information entered into any form throughout this site is not used in any way or form other than for the explicit use of those functions. We will not sell, distribute or use that information for any other purpose.
We will not use information about you without your permission.
We will provide mechanisms for you to communicate your privacy concerns to us and that we will respond to them thoroughly and thoughtfully.