Privacy Statement

Your privacy is important to us

This privacy statement applies to the Ballarat In The Know website.

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.

For information about the broader collection and use of personal information by the City of Ballarat, including information on the Information Privacy Principles, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

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. You can find more information about IP anonymisation, or how Google Analytics collects and processes data here.

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).

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 other information

In addition to web analytics data, we may also collect other personal information that you choose to give us, or which may be required to access a particular service. This includes information collected via online forms, events registration, blog comments, or when subscribing to receive newsletters. Whenever we ask you to provide personal information for other purposes, we will provide you with notice specific to that collection. For further information on how we handle your personal information, please refer to our general privacy policy.

Social media

We use Twitter and Facebook to communicate with the public. We may collect any personal information that you provide us via social media under section 8C of the PDP Act, for the purposes of engaging and consulting with the public. Any personal information we collect via social media will be handled appropriately and in line with our general privacy policy.

Twitter and Facebook may also collect your personal information for their own purposes. When you agree to Twitter 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.

Links to other sites

The Ballarat In The Know website provides links to other sites as a community service. Council is not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and recommends that you refer to their respective privacy statements.

Contact us

For further information about this privacy statement or how we handle personal information, please contact Council’s Privacy Officer on 03 5320 5500 or via email at info@ballarat.vic.gov.au