Privacy Policy

Introduction 

The City of Ballarat is committed to the protection of your rights to privacy. We collect, use and disclose personal information in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 and other applicable legislation. 
 
How and why we collect information 

While providing services to the community, whether through this website or off-line, we collect personal information in a variety of ways. Typical information we collect may include your name, email address, and phone number. Depending on the purpose for which the information is being collected, we may ask for other details or information. 

Collection and use of personal data 

The Ballarat Heritage Festival website only collects or records personal information you choose to provide through listing events and activities for promotion on this website.  

As part of our commitment to customer service, we may periodically invite you to provide feedback about your experience via a survey. Any survey is voluntary, and you do not have to participate. 
 
The City of Ballarat staff use personal information collected from email and survey sources to respond to individuals and discuss their enquiries. Survey results and personal information may also be used for our own planning and research purposes to improve our services to the community. 
 
Email addresses and any other contact details you provide will not be added to mailing lists without your consent. 

Disclosure of Personal Information 

The City of Ballarat use and disclose personal information primarily for the purpose for which it was collected. As most of our information is collected from you directly, you will normally be aware of the purpose of the collection and when, and for what purpose your information may be used or disclosed. 
 
The City of Ballarat will take all reasonable measures to prevent unauthorised access to, or disclosure of, your personal information. 

We will also take all reasonable measures to attempt to ensure that your personal information is not disclosed to other individuals, institutions and authorities outside Council except if required or authorised by law or explicitly permitted by you. For example, in the event of an investigation into suspected unlawful or improper activity, a law enforcement agency or government agency may exercise its legal authority to inspect the web server’s records (e.g. in relation to hacking or abusive messages). 

Use of cookies 

Cookies are small files that are transferred to your web browser when you visit a website. The files contain data that helps you navigate the website efficiently. Cookies are used to save information about your interaction with a website – for example, your login details, preferences, and how and when you use a website. They cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Our website uses session cookies which are stored in temporary memory and are not retained after you close the browser session. Google Analytics may also set or collect first-party cookies to collect information on website usage. 

Collection of web analytics data 

We use Google Analytics software to collect information about your interaction with our website. When you visit our website, your web browser automatically sends certain information to Google Analytics. The information collected includes: 
• network location and IP address; 
• the date and time of your visit to our website; 
• the type of web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari etc.) and operating system (e.g. Windows 10, Mac OS X etc.) you are using; 
• Flash version, JavaScript support, screen resolution and screen colour processing ability; 
• referring site details (such as the URL that you came through to arrive at our website); 
• pages visited and the time spent on each page; 
• documents downloaded and search terms used; and 
• the forms accessed on our website. 
We have enabled IP anonymisation, which means that when Google Analytics receives IP addresses, it is then anonymised. 

Use of web analytics data 

We use this information for statistical purposes, such as to analyse, measure, and report on data about our website traffic and visits. This information helps us understand general user trends at an aggregate level, and improve our website, content, and user experience. 

 
We may also use this information for security audits to protect against threats from hackers or other security purposes. 

 
We do not use this information to identify you or match it with any other personal information that we may collect from you, unless required to do so as part of an internal investigation or for a law enforcement-related purpose, in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act (PDP Act). 

 
Your site visit data is collected under the authority of Information Privacy Principle 1.1 of the PDP Act for the purposes stated above. 

Disclosure of web analytics data 

We do not disclose your site visit data to third parties without your consent, unless we are required or authorised to do so by law. In the event of an investigation into suspected unlawful or improper activity, a law enforcement or government agency may use its legal authority to inspect our web server’s records (e.g. in relation to hacking or abusive messages). 

Social media 

We use Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to communicate with the public. We may collect any personal information that you provide us via social media. Any personal information we collect via social media will be handled appropriately and in line with our Privacy Policy. 

 
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook may also collect your personal information for their own purposes. When you agree to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook’s terms of service and privacy policy, you agree to your information being transferred outside Victoria. To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, please do not post any personal information (including phone numbers and email addresses) in your comment, tweet, or reply. Additionally, please do not share personal information about others via social media. 

Access and Correction 

Requests for access to and correction of documents containing personal information are generally managed under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. 
 
However, some requests for personal information may be dealt with informally and in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. 
 
Requests under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 must be made in writing stating as clearly and precisely as possible what information is required, and addressed to: 
 
Freedom of Information Officer 
City of Ballarat 
PO Box 655 
Ballarat VIC 3353 
Telephone (03) 5320 5500 
Email: foi@ballarat.vic.gov.au 

Links to other sites 

The Ballarat Heritage Festival website provides links to other sites in relations to events, activities, and businesses. Council is not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and recommends that you refer to their respective privacy statements. 

Complaints 

Although there is no obligation to do so, we encourage individuals to send written complaints directly to us about a breach, or perceived breach, of privacy in the first instance. 
 
Alternatively, complaints can be directed to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, although any complaint can be declined if you have not first directed your complaint to us. 
 
The Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner can be contacted as follows: 
 
Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner 
PO Box 24274 
Melbourne VIC 3001 
Telephone: 1300 666 444 
Email: privacy@cpdp.vic.gov.au 

Further Information 

All enquiries concerning your personal information and privacy should be addressed to Council’s Privacy Officer. 
 
The Privacy Officer can be contacted on 03 5320 5500 or via email at privacyofficer@ballarat.vic.gov.au.