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Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

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Privacy

On 1 July 2022, we became the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

We are updating our website to reflect our changed role. If you are looking for information about the environment and water portfolio, you will now find it on the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water website.

We collect, use, store and disclose personal information to help us perform our functions and manage our staff. We publish a privacy policy which sets out how we comply with our obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) and provides information on how individuals may access and correct personal information held about them.

Our privacy policy

This is the complete Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment privacy policy at June 2022.

Download:

  • Complete privacy policy [PDF 261KB]
  • Complete privacy policy [DOC 160KB]

If you're having trouble accessing these files, contact us for help.

Summary of privacy policy

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, June 2022

Download:

  • Privacy policy summary [PDF 190KB]

If you're having trouble accessing these files, contact us for help.

Online version

Scope

The purpose of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s (department) privacy policy is to:

  • clearly communicate the personal information handling practices of the department;
  • enhance the transparency of the department’s operations, and
  • give individuals a better and more complete understanding of the sort of personal information the department holds, and the way the department handles that information.

This summary provides you with a succinct overview of how the department handles your personal information.

More information can be found in the department’s complete privacy policy.

The kinds of personal information collected and held by the department

The department will generally collect your personal information directly from you, unless it is unreasonable or impracticable to do so, or required by law. There may be times when the department may collect personal information from your authorised agent or a third party.

The kinds of information the department collects and holds can include:

Information Type Description
Personal information
  • name
  • age or birth date and gender
  • contact details (including address, phone, facsimile number, and email
    addresses)
  • bank account details
  • photographs, videos or audio of individuals
  • employment details (including occupation, qualifications, CV and
    remuneration)
  • education details (level of education, study assistance and courses)
  • financial information – this may include credit card transactions,
    bank and property information
  • insurance details
  • vessel and vehicle details
  • details of third parties (including referees, emergency contact, next of kin including next of kin
  • publicly available information of individuals who are identified on social media platforms
  • driver’s licence and passport information (including to verify identity, perform a digital footprint check, or for staff travel)
  • travel details
  • the products and services you have purchased or enquired about, together with any additional information necessary to deliver those products and services and to respond to your enquiries
  • opinions

Sensitive information
(a subset of Personal information)

  • Indigeneity (such as in relation to the department’s Reconciliation Action Plan, or an indigenous program or strategy)
  • religious beliefs or sexual orientation (such as from participants in the department’s Diversity and Inclusion Network)
  • criminal records (including as part of a national criminal history check for employment purposes)
  • health information (including to ensure the work, health or safety of the department’s workers or other individuals)

The purposes for which the department collects, holds, uses and discloses your personal information

The purpose for the department collecting your personal information is important as it limits how the department can use and disclose your personal information. Unless an exception applies, the department will:

  • only use or disclose your personal information for the purpose it was collected, and
  • notify you of this purpose at the time of collection, or as soon as practicable after collection.

The department will only use or disclose your personal information for another purpose where it is able to do so in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

How to access and seek correction of your personal information

If you are a member of the public or an external stakeholder, you should contact the relevant business area within the department, in writing, for access to or correction of your personal information. If you do not know which area of the department holds your personal information you can use the contact us link on the department’s website.

Current and former department employees who wish to gain access to, or correct their personal information need to contact the People Services Branch (People Help) in the first instance. People Help can be contacted via email at PeopleSupport@awe.gov.au.

How you can complain about the handling of your personal information and how the complaint will be managed

You can complain in writing about how the department has handled your personal information.

In the first instance, any privacy concerns or complaints should be reported to the department by:

Email: privacy@awe.gov.au
Mail: Privacy, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, GPO BOX 858, Canberra, ACT, 2601.

If you are not satisfied with the department’s handling of your complaint, you also have the option of contacting the Privacy Commissioner within the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). The Privacy Commissioner can be contacted on:

Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Mail: OAIC, GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001.

About this policy

The purpose of this privacy policy is to:

  • clearly communicate the personal information handling practices of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (department)
  • enhance the transparency of the department’s operations, and
  • give individuals a better and more complete understanding of the sort of personal information the department holds, and the way we handle that information.

If you would like to request the privacy policy be made available in an alternate format or language, such as for the vision impaired, or for those from non-English speaking backgrounds, please also contact the department. Reasonable steps will be taken to provide alternate access.

This privacy policy is reviewed and updated annually.

Privacy Impact Assessment Register

This register includes our Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) in accordance with the Privacy (Australian Government Agencies — Governance) APP Code 2017.

Date Title
27 May 2022 Biosecurity Training Centre
28 April 2022 Migration of Aurion On-Site Services to Aurion SaaS Cloud
10 February 2022 Use of digital footprint software for integrity purposes
28 January 2022 Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool
24 December 2021 Helmet-mounted video recording of inspections of bulk vessels
27 October 2021  Taking Farmers to Market – Export Establishment Register & Export Profile
27 October 2021 TechOne on-site services migration to TechOne SaaS Cloud
20 August 2021 Compliance Intelligence Investigation Management System (CIIMS) - COMTrac
13 August 2021 Traveller, Aircraft and Mail System (TAMS)
2 June 2021 Proposed information-sharing amendments
13 May 2021 Workload Management System - update
9 February 2021 Work Health and Safety Information System (WHS IS)
15 December 2020 Waste Exports Ban Project
7 October 2020 Human Health Digitisation Project
20 April 2020 ABARES Server Remediation Project
3 April 2020 Biosecurity risk management project
18 February 2020 Workload Management System
29 July 2019 Compliance, Risk and Integrated Governance System
20 May 2019 Bulk mail and survey functions
6 May 2019 NEXDOC/Enhanced Exports Traceability
1 Apr 2019 FMIS/Technology One
27 Feb 2019 External Workforce Project
25 Sep 2018 Levy Payer Register
11 Jul 2018 Internal Staff Policy

Contact us

Contact our Privacy Officer if you have questions about privacy.

Email: privacy@awe.gov.au

Mail:
Privacy Officer
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO Box 858
Canberra
ACT 2601

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Last updated: 27 June 2022

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.