At RSPCA we value your privacy and understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality. RSPCA adheres to the Privacy Act 1988, as amended by the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000.

The RSPCA Privacy Policy outlines our commitment to protecting your privacy, including:

1. COLLECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Generally, we collect personal information directly from you, for example when you deal directly with us in person, over the telephone, by completing RSPCA standard forms, or on-line via website or email.

The personal information we collect it that which is necessary to provide and market our products and services to you.

The nature of personal information that we collect and maintain includes information pertaining to inspectorate complaints, legal records, bequest records, customer contact details, records of purchases or donations and credit information.

2. USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We collect personal information for the purpose of providing and marketing our products and services to you. We may use your personal information to facilitate this function and for related purposes such as:

• Internal administration
• Membership information
• To assist us to identify and inform you of products and services that interest you.

We will make reasonable endeavours to prevent the disclosure your personal information except to the extent:

• Indicated at the time you supply information to us;
• Expressly permitted under any agreement with you;
• Required for us to provide you with the goods and services requested from us;
• Required under compulsion of law or provided in cooperation with any government authority; or
• Where it is already publicly available or it is disclosed by us in a manner that does not readily permit identification of information relating to you;
• Required by us to comply with our constitution.

Disclosure to Third Parties

Your personal information may be disclosed on a confidential basis to organisations/agencies including:

• In the course of normal business practice including our solicitors, accountants and collection agencies;
• Insurers;
• Work Cover;
• Australian Taxation Office;
• Superannuation Providers;
• Municipal Councils;
• Microchip Animal Registries;

If this occurs, the confidentiality of your personal information is maintained.

RSPCA undertakes not to sell, rent or trade your personal information to any individual or entity.

Direct Marketing

RSPCA may use your personal information to identify products and service which may be of interest to you and keep you informed and up-to-date about our latest products and services. If you would prefer that your information is not used in this way please contact us.

Your Consent

Your informed consent is important to us. As such we will endeavour not to use or disclose your personal information in any way that is contrary to your expectations.

However, you should be aware that if you do not consent to certain uses and disclosures of your personal information, we may not be able to provide you with our products and services.

3. QUALITY OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

RSPCA Victoria relies upon the accuracy of your personal information to provide you with our products and services. To assist us with this, please contact us if any details you have provided cease to be current. Similarly, if for any reason you believe that the information that we hold about you is not accurate, complete or upto-date, contact us and we will endeavour to correct the information.

In the event of any dispute concerning the accuracy of your personal information, you may request that a statement reflecting your view be documented and attached to your record.

4. ACCESS TO YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

You may access the personal information we hold about you upon request and on reasonable notice. There may be circumstances where RSPCA may refuse access or may only provide partial access to your information. If your request for access is not granted, we will provide you with an explanation.

To access your personal information we hold about you, we ask that you complete the Personal Information Access Form.

A nominal fee may apply to enable us to recover reasonable costs of making such
information available to you.

5. SECURITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We regard the security of your personal information as paramount. To this end we take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. Such steps include:

• Only authorised staff members are entitled to access your personal information and for approved purposes only. In addition, all our staff sign a confidentiality agreement as a condition of their employment.
• No personal information is disclosed over the phone or transferred via fax or email, except to authorised staff members or with your consent.
• RSPCA Victoria implements a clean desk policy. All personal information in hardcopy form is securely stored in locked cabinets, or where in electronic from, protected by password.

6. DESTRUCTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Personal information we collect about you will be kept on our record for five years in accordance with statutory requirements. Volunteer files, donor/bequest information and inspectorate records are permanently held on our record unless you tell us otherwise.

Electronic information is destroyed with the authority of management. Such information if overwritten (or added security) before it is deleted.

RSPCA Victoria uses a security disposal service for the destruction of all records in hardcopy format.

7. RESOLVING YOUR CONCERNS

We strive to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. Should you have any concerns or complaints in relation to the handling of your personal information, please complete and return the Personal Information Complaints Form. Our Privacy Officer will then investigate your complaint as soon as possible.

8. HOW TO CONTACT US

Writing to:
The Privacy Officer
RSPCA Victoria
3 Burwood Highway
Burwood East VIC 3151
Fax: (03) 9224 2200
Email: rspca@rspcavic.org.au marked to the attention of the Privacy Officer.