Privacy Policy

• QCWA is committed to complying with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and accordingly will adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) when collecting, using, disclosing, securing, and providing access to personal information.
• As part of QCWA’s commitment to privacy, QCWA has adopted this Privacy Policy which deals with the management of personal information.
• The contents of this Privacy Policy are subject to change and are not intended to create a contract between QCWA and a Member or other individuals or entity that provides QCWA with personal information (hereinafter referred to in this policy as a ‘Member’).

• Personal information is any information, including any opinion, about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:
  • whether the information or opinion is true or not, and
  • whether the information or opinion is recorded in material form or not.
• Sensitive Information is personal information, which is given a greater level of protection under the APPs, such as information about an individual’s health, criminal records, religious beliefs or affiliations or political opinions. QCWA only collects such information where QCWA is permitted to do so under the APPs and if such information is necessary to provide its services or where QCWA is required to collect this information by law.
• QCWA may invite a Member to provide information about themselves so that QCWA is able to provide its services to that Member.
• QCWA collects personal information in several different ways, including directly from Members, through online dealings, through written correspondence including but not limited to Membership forms and from third parties. Personal Information may be collected verbally over the phone or in person, by use of paper forms, online or by other means.
• For QCWA to provide its services to Members or otherwise to deal with Members, QCWA generally requires a Member’s name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address and any other relevant contact details to enjoy Member benefits. The type and amount of information necessary will vary depending on the services to be provided.
• Where it is lawful and reasonable to do so, a Member will remain anonymous at the discretion of QCWA if it is reasonable and lawful to allow her to remain an anonymous member in her circumstance.

• The reason QCWA collects personal information is so that it can provide Members with its services, manage its relationship with Members, communicate with Members effectively and identify which services may best meet a Member’s requirements.
• QCWA may also collect personal information for marketing purposes, statistical analysis, dealing with enquiries or complaints, maintaining records, and accounts payments.
• QCWA may also collect personal information for purposes of developing a mailing list. If QCWA does so, when it uses that personal information QCWA will offer Members on the list an opportunity to be removed from the mailing list, or to ‘opt out’ from receiving further contact be it by mail or electronically.
• The personal information collected from Members by QCWA is generally used to:
  • respond to any requests by Members
  • provide Members with information about QCWA’s services
  • communicate with Members
  • provide Members with QCWA’s services
  • help QCWA to develop, improve, manage, and administer all services it provides to Members
  • ensure that QCWA’s business systems are functional and reliable
  • conduct marketing activities including market research and gathering feedback
  • investigate, respond to, or defend claims made against or involving QCWA, and
  • meet QCWA’s legal obligations.
• The personal information a Member provides to QCWA will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which the information was collected or as required by law.
• QCWA does not share personal information with third parties except as set out below or otherwise as necessary to provide its services or as required by law or other legal processes, and QCWA never sells personal information.
• The third parties, people or organisations to which QCWA discloses Members personal information may include QCWA’s employees, contractors and outsourced service providers who manage the services QCWA provides to Members (if any), QCWA’s affiliated or related entities (including but not limited to the Country Women’s Association of Australia and QCWA’s sister organisations), a Member’s authorised representatives, QCWA’s professional advisers (including its accountants and auditors), government and regulatory authorities and other similar organisations, as required or authorised by law.
• Personal information collected by QCWA may be transferred to its affiliated or related entities where it is necessary to meet the purpose for which a Member has submitted the information. By submitting data to QCWA electronically, the Member is providing explicit consent to trans-border transmission of data collected (if applicable).

• QCWA takes reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up to date. 
• A Member can request access to the personal information QCWA holds about the Member. If QCWA is unable to provide a Member with access, QCWA will explain why. QCWA reserves its rights to charge a fee for searching for and providing access to a Member’s information.
• To update any membership details, a member should contact their branch and the Branch complete the relevant section of the Branch Membership Remittance Form and process in the usual manner

• “Cookies” (small text files placed on a Member’s computer when a Member first visits QCWA’s website) may be used on some parts of QCWA’s website. Most browsers now recognise when a cookie is offered and permit a Member to refuse or accept it. If a Member is not sure whether the Member’s browser has this capability, the Member should check with the software manufacturer or their internet service provider.
• Cookies are primarily used to enhance a Member’s online experience and are not used to track the navigational habits of identified visitors, unless QCWA obtains a Member’s permission to do so. If a Member visits QCWA’s website to read or download content, much of the information collected via cookies is statistical only. For example, the domain from which the Member accessed the internet, the date and time of access, and the internet address of the website from which the Member linked directly to QCWA’s site and is not personally identifiable. QCWA may use this information about the number of visitors and their use of the sites in aggregate form to make the site more useful and attractive to users.

• QCWA is committed to protecting Members’ personal information from misuse and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure, and will take reasonable steps to do so.
• QCWA personnel who have access to personal information have been trained to maintain the confidentiality of such information.
• No data transmission over the Internet or any wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while QCWA strives to protect Members’ personal information, Members acknowledge that:
  • There are security and privacy limitations of the Internet which are beyond QCWA’s control.
  • The security, integrity, and privacy of all information and data exchanged between Members and QCWA through the QCWA website cannot be guaranteed.
  • Such information and data may be viewed or tampered with in transit by a third party

• Payment details are not stored with QCWA. If you use your credit card to pay for membership or stock, the transaction can only be made over the phone or electronically in person at State Office.
• If you use PayPal on the QCWA website to complete your transaction, your personal information (including credit card information) will be collected and used by PayPal. Please refer to the PayPal Privacy Policy on the official PayPal website.

QCWA recognises its responsibility for protecting the privacy of Members’ personal information. Members should contact State Office through the normal channels regarding compliance with this Privacy Policy

This policy is to be reviewed triennially or as legislation changes.