SIRA website privacy notice
To support SIRA’s operations as an independent statutory body within the NSW Customer Service Cluster, this website is maintained by the Brand, Digital & Communications section of the Department of Customer Service (DCS).
This Privacy Policy applies to all the publicly accessible pages on this site located at www.sira.nsw.gov.au.
DCS does not have any responsibility for the privacy policies or practices of third party sites linked to this site. If you have any questions about this site, the application of this web-related Privacy Policy or a request for access to information collected through the website, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Department of Customer Service
2-24 Rawson Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9619 8672
Users of this site are entitled to expect that any information collected as a result of that use will be treated within the terms of the NSW Government's privacy responsibilities and obligations. The NSW Government's privacy practices are regulated by the New South Wales Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998, Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 and Data Sharing (Government Sector) Act 2015.
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 and documents downloaded, and
- the previous site visited
- and the type of browser and operating system you have used
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 site uses persistent cookies.
They record your preferences in relation to your use of the site 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 DCS to present information that may be most relevant to you based on your previous visits. They also help DCS to understand what parts of the site users find the most useful and improve the effectiveness of the website.
The cookies on this site 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. DCS makes 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.
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 DCS to identify patterns of usage of the site. This will assist us in improving this site and the services offered on it.
DCS will not disclose or publish information that identifies individual computers, or potentially identifies sub-groupings of addresses, without consent or otherwise in accordance with the New South Wales Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and Data Sharing (Government Sector) Act 2015.
What exceptions are there to this rule?
DCS 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 Department of Customer Service pages
- unauthorised tampering or interference with files published on the site
- unauthorised attempts to index the contents of the site by other sites
- attempts to intercept messages of other users of the site
- 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 site by other users
DCS reserves the right to make disclosures to relevant authorities where the use of this site raises a suspicion that an offence is being, or has been, committed.
In the event of an investigation, DCS will provide access to data to any law enforcement agency that may execute a warrant to inspect our logs.
Is the information stored securely?
Yes. Information collected is stored in an appropriately secure format and held by DCS for archival purposes. When the information is no longer required for the purposes for which it was collected it is deleted.
What will we do with information provided as feedback?
DCS provides feedback facilities on this site to allow users to provide input into the future development of the site and to comment on the provision of service by the Department of Customer Service.
The provision of personal details on feedback is optional.
Users provide personal details for the purpose of receiving a reply to their feedback. This information will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided. We will not add your email address or name to any mailing list.
DCS may publish aggregated information about feedback on the site, to the extent that it does not identify or cannot be used to identify individual users.
Subscription to newsletters and bulletins
SIRA may collect your email address through this website to subscribe you to SIRA’s newsletters and bulletins. Your email address will be held by SIRA and will not be used or disclosed for any other purposes unless required or authorised by law. You can unsubscribe at any time by selecting the ‘unsubscribe’ link in our emails or by contacting us at [email protected]
SIRA uses Swift Digital, an online marketing platform service provider to send and manage emails. Swift Digital maintains your data in compliance with the Spam Act 2003 and Australian Privacy Provisions. All data is maintained within Australia and never leaves Australian jurisdiction. Where stipulated data is encrypted in transit using SSL connections. All data stored via Swift Digital is encrypted at rest. Should you wish to find out more about Swift Digital, please visit their website.
Who has access to information collected through this website?
DCS captures this information on its own computers and through the use of third-party analytical software such as Google Analytics. Access to the raw data is restricted to a limited number of officers in the Brand, Communications and Marketing section for the purpose of analysis and to report on the success of the site in meeting the Department's communication and access objectives. DCS ICT and Cyber Security staff have access to website data on a case by case basis as needed to perform testing and maintenance. A limited number of staff within SIRA who have responsibilities for communications and stakeholder engagement have access to the website data.
If you would like to access information held about you as a result of using this website please contact:
Privacy Officer
Department of Customer Service
2-23 Rawson Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9619 8672
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 site and will operate from the time it is posted.