Privacy statement
ACTEW CORPORATION LIMITED - COMMITMENT TO PRIVACY
Privacy statement and obligations under the Act
This privacy statement outlines the commitment of ACTEW Corporation Limited (ACTEW)
to privacy, summarises the functions of ACTEW and how these functions relate to
the application of the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth).
ACTEW is committed to complying with the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth).
It places a high importance on protecting the privacy of its customers and of securing
their personal information.
Company profile and functions
ACTEW is a holding company with a variety of investments and assets. ACTEW owns
all water and sewerage infrastructure in the ACT and holds a 50% interest in a joint
venture, ActewAGL. ActewAGL provides a range of services including the operation and maintenance
of the water and wastewater business (which is contracted by ACTEW) and electricity and gas distribution.
Two partnerships comprise the ActewAGL joint venture. ActewAGL Distribution owns
and operates electricity and gas distribution networks, and operates the water and
sewerage services under contract to ACTEW. ActewAGL Retail supplies gas and electricity,
and provides billing for electricity, gas and water customers and call centre operations.
It is through these two partnerships that customers' general and personal information
details are collected and stored.
Does ACTEW collect personal information?
ACTEW does not collect, record, store, use or disclose any personal information
about its customers. The collection, use, handling and retention of customer personal
information is undertaken by ActewAGL. The ActewAGL privacy statement is available
on the ActewAGL website www.actewagl.com.au
However ACTEW records and stores personal information about residents who apply
for an exemption under the Water Restrictions Scheme. ACTEW administers the scheme
on behalf of the ACT Government.
The information is provided voluntarily by residents. Any disclosure of personal
information to a third party will be in accordance with the Privacy Act in
the event that prosecution is initiated for contravention of the Water Restrictions
Scheme.
Residents may also voluntarily provide personal information which ACTEW records and stores when reporting alleged infringements of the Water Restrictions Scheme, when participating in ACTEW’s community consultation programs, when subscribing to ACTEW's newsletters and to other information disseminated by ACTEW and when registering for public workshops and/or competitions facilitated by ACTEW as part of its community education program. This information is not disclosed to a third party other than in accordance with the law.
What personal information is disclosed during a Freedom of Information request?
As a Territory owned corporation, ACTEW is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1989 (ACT). This means that although ACTEW endeavours to supply all relevant information for a Freedom of Information request, personal information may be withheld if its disclosure under FOI would be 'unreasonable'. A number of factors determine whether disclosure would be unreasonable, including the views of the individual concerned. If someone seeks access to personal information about you under Freedom of Information, ACTEW will generally consult you before making a decision to release it.
When else might ACTEW disclose my personal information?
ACTEW only discloses your personal information when the Privacy Act permits it. In most cases, this will only be where we have told you about the disclosure at the time we collected your personal information, where you have consented, or where the disclosure is required or authorised under another law that applies to ACTEW.
Does ACTEW collect general information?
Yes. When someone visits the ACTEW web site, a record is made of the following information:
- IP address as given out by the user's ISP (eg yahoo, bigpond etc), proxy server
or firewall
- the user's top level domain name (eg .com, .gov, .au, .uk etc)
- the date and time of the visit to the site (arrival and/or departure)
- the pages accessed ("clickstream" data) and documents down-loaded
- the type of browser used
How does ACTEW use this general information?
The information is usually aggregated, so that it cannot be used to personally identify
or contact the user. Aggregate information allows ACTEW to monitor general trends
in web site usage. No attempt will be made to identify users or their browsing activities
from the general information except where this is permitted by the Privacy Act.
ACTEW may use this general information to make improvements to the functionality,
useability and accessibility of the ACTEW web site.
Links to other sites
The ACTEW web site contains links to other sites.
ACTEW is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such web sites.
Contacting ACTEW
If you have a query or complaint about possible breaches of privacy you should contact
the Company Secretary on (02) 6248 3871.
If you would like any further information about our organisation you should contact
the Office of the Managing Director on (02) 6248 3531.
Thank you for taking the time to read the ACTEW Privacy Statement. If you would
like further information about our Privacy Statement please contact the ACTEW web
manager on (02) 6248 3274 or email webmaster@actew.com.au