Our privacy policy outlines the way BirdLife Australia collects, stores and uses supporters information and data.
BirdLife Australia routinely handles personal information from members, volunteers, supporters, donors, beneficiaries, employees, members of the public, candidates for volunteer work and prospective employees.
BirdLife Australia takes all reasonable steps to ensure that personal information and sensitive information is protected and treated confidentially. In doing so BirdLife Australia follows the National Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1998 (Cwth).
To the extent that this Privacy Policy applies to on-line privacy issues, it is to be read as forming part of the terms and conditions of use for the BirdLife Australia website and affiliated websites or apps.
Definitions
“Personal information” as defined in the National Privacy Act 1998 (Cwth) is: ‘information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database) and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion’.
2.1 BirdLife Australia collects personal information about individuals where that information is necessary for any of the following primary purposes:
a) fulfilling BirdLife Australia’s role in educating the community about issues affecting Australasian birds and their habitats;
b) fulfilling BirdLife Australia’s role in increasing society’s understanding of Australasian birds and habitats through scientific research and ongoing monitoring;
c) assisting BirdLife Australia to participate in relevant civic and political debates;
d) highlighting environmental concerns affecting birds and their habitats;
e) notifying individuals of BirdLife Australia’s activities;
f) forging corporate, government and professional alliances to achieve environmental outcomes;
g) seeking new members and processing, renewing and maintaining BirdLife Australia’s membership and subscription services; and
h) increasing BirdLife Australia’s financial support, through various fundraising activities, in order to maintain and enhance BirdLife Australia’s effectiveness.
2.2 BirdLife Australia will only collect personal information by lawful and fair means and not in an unreasonably intrusive way.
2.3 At or before the time BirdLife Australia collects personal information about an individual from an individual, BirdLife Australia will take reasonable steps to ensure that the individual is aware of:
a) the identity of BirdLife Australia and how to contact BirdLife Australia;
b) the fact that he or she is able to gain access to the information;
c) the purposes for which the information is collected;
d) the main consequences (if any) for the individual if all or part of the information is not provided.
2.4 If it is reasonable and practicable to do so, BirdLife Australia will collect personal information about an individual only from that individual.
2.5 If BirdLife Australia collects personal information about an individual from someone else, it will take reasonable steps to ensure that the individual is or has been made aware of the matters listed in paragraph 2.3.
3.1 BirdLife Australia uses and discloses an individual’s personal information for the purpose for which it was collected.
3.2 BirdLife Australia may sometimes use or disclose personal information about an individual for a purpose (the secondary purpose) other than the primary purpose. For example, BirdLife Australia may disclose personal information to other bird clubs, special interest groups or affiliated groups when planning and coordinating projects and communications. However, BirdLife Australia will only use or disclose personal information about an individual for a secondary purpose in limited circumstances.
3.3 BirdLife Australia may use personal information about an individual for a secondary purpose if the secondary purpose is related to the primary purpose of collection; and
a) the individual would reasonably expect BirdLife Australia to use or disclose the information for the secondary purpose; and
b) the use is made by an employee, agent or contractor of BirdLife Australia, in the performance of their duties for BirdLife Australia; or
c) the individual has consented to the use or disclosure.
3.4 BirdLife Australia creates reports for partnering organisations using the bird data collected by individuals. This data does not disclose personal information of users, but does include latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates of species detected, species detected, number of individuals detected per species, reporting rate for species and distribution maps.
4.1 Consent means voluntary and informed agreement to some act, practice or purpose.
4.2 BirdLife Australia will, wherever possible, seek consent from individuals before using their personal information for a secondary purpose.
4.3 BirdLife Australia may use personal information about an individual for the secondary purpose of promoting BirdLife Australia products, activities, materials, educational resources and competitions to the individual and to inform the individual of issues of significance generally (direct marketing). BirdLife Australia may also engage third party service providers to assist BirdLife Australia in conducting these direct marketing activities.
4.4 BirdLife Australia will only use personal information about an individual for direct marketing in circumstances where:
a) it is impracticable for BirdLife Australia to seek the individual’s consent before that particular use;
b) in each direct marketing communication with the individual, BirdLife Australia draws to the individual’s attention that he or she may express a wish not to receive any further direct marketing communications;
c) the individual has not made a request to BirdLife Australia not to receive direct marketing communications; and
d) each written direct marketing communication by BirdLife Australia with the individual sets out BirdLife Australia’s business address and telephone number and, if the communication with the individual is made by fax or other electronic means, a number or address at which BirdLife Australia can be directly contacted electronically.
4.5 Where there is a charge associated with direct marketing, BirdLife Australia will not charge any individual who requests that he or she not receive any further direct marketing communications from BirdLife Australia.
4.6 BirdLife Australia may also use personal information about an individual for a secondary purpose
a) where BirdLife Australia reasonably believes that the use or disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent:
i) a serious and imminent threat to an individual’s life, health or safety; or
ii) a serious threat to public health or public safety; or
iii) BirdLife Australia has reason to suspect that unlawful activity has been, is being or may be engaged in, and uses or discloses the personal information as a necessary part of its investigation of the matter or in reporting its concerns to relevant persons or authorities; or
iv) the use or disclosure is required or authorised by or under law; or
b) where BirdLife Australia reasonably believes that the use or disclosure is reasonably necessary for one or more of the following by or on behalf of an enforcement body:
i) the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of criminal offences,
ii) breaches of a law imposing a penalty or sanction or breaches of a prescribed law; the enforcement of laws relating to the confiscation of the proceeds of crime; the protection of the public revenue; the prevention, detection, investigation or remedying of seriously improper conduct or prescribed conduct; the preparation for, or conduct of, proceedings before any court or tribunal, or implementation of the orders of a court or tribunal.
5.1 BirdLife Australia will take reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up-to-date.
6.1 BirdLife Australia will take all reasonable steps to ensure the security of the personal information and sensitive information it holds and to protect it from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
6.2 BirdLife Australia will take all reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information if it is no longer needed for any purpose for which the information may be used or disclosed.
6.3 BirdLife Australia’s IT systems are password protected and comply with relevance security standards. Personal information held on paper files is stored in locked files and only authorised personnel are permitted to access these details.
7.1 BirdLife Australia has set out in this document its policies on the management of personal information and will send out a hardcopy of this policy to anyone who asks for it.
7.2 On request, BirdLife Australia will take reasonable steps to let the person know, generally, what sort of personal information BirdLife Australia holds, for what purposes, and how it collects, holds, uses and discloses that information.
8.1 If BirdLife Australia holds personal information and sensitive information about an individual, BirdLife Australia will generally provide the individual with access to the information on request by the individual.
8.2 Where providing access would reveal evaluative information generated within BirdLife Australia in connection with a commercially sensitive decision-making process, BirdLife Australia may give the individual an explanation for the commercially sensitive decision rather than direct access to the information.
8.3 An individual can request access to, and/or request the correction of personal information held by BirdLife Australia. Such a request can be made by writing to or emailing the BirdLife Australia Head of Communications (see section 11 of this Policy for details).
8.4 If BirdLife Australia holds personal information about an individual and the individual is able to establish that the information is not accurate, complete and up-to-date, BirdLife Australia will take reasonable steps to correct the information accordingly.
8.5 BirdLife Australia will provide reasons for denial of access or a refusal to correct personal information.
9.1 Wherever it is lawful and practicable, individuals will have the option of not identifying themselves when dealing with BirdLife Australia. For example, donations made to BirdLife Australia can be made anonymously.
10.1 You may be able to access other sites external to BirdLife Australia by clicking on links that have been provided throughout our site. BirdLife Australia is not responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other websites. As these sites are not part of BirdLife Australia, you will need to contact the organisation/ institution that administers the site directly to obtain information about their privacy policy
11.1 You have the right to access personal information we hold about you subject to the restrictions provided by law. We aim to keep our information about you as accurate as possible. If you are concerned about our use of your personal information, or if you would like to review or change the information you have supplied us with, please contact us at support@birdlife.org.au with the subject line, “Privacy”. We reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for access to this information.
