Privacy statement

The Regional Institute online privacy statement

This document was last updated on 13 October 2016

The Regional Institute is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information.

This online privacy statement governs the collection, storage, use, access and disposal of data, including all personal information obtained on The Regional Institute website (www.regional.org.au) and for personal information collected when registering for an account on The Regional Institute website.

This privacy statement does not apply to linked websites that are not Regional Institute websites. When users link to another site we recommend they read the privacy statement of that site.

You may browse and download public articles from The Regional Institute website without providing personal information.

1. Collection of personal information

The Privacy Act (Cth) 1988 defines personal information to be "information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion."

The Regional Institute collects different kinds of information in a variety of ways.

(a) Website statistics

When a user visits the The Regional Institute website, our server makes a record of the visit and logs standard information about the user’s environment including the server IP address, time and date of the visit to the website, the pages and documents accessed and the type of browser being used.

No attempt will be made to identify users or their browsing activities except, in the unlikely event of an investigation, where a law enforcement agency may exercise a warrant to inspect the service provider's logs.

(b) Emails

The Regional Institute will only record an email address if a user sends us a message or registers for any of the site's interactive tools. It will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided and will not be added to a mailing list without the user’s consent. We will not use a user’s email address for any other purpose, and will not disclose it, without their consent.

(c) Electronic forms

Personal information is collected by The Regional Institute when users complete and submit one of the electronic forms on our website. This may include a user’s email address and contact details.

The collection of this data is strictly voluntary and occurs only if the user chooses to register for an account. In all cases and at all times, this personal information will only be used for the intended purpose for which it was provided and to allow access to resources and information on the Regional Institute website.

(d) Cookies

The Regional Institute uses cookies on its website. Cookies are small pieces of information that can be stored on a user’s hard drive (persistent cookies) or in memory (session cookies). They can record information about a user’s visit to the site, allowing it to remember them next time they visit.

2. Use of personal information

When users sign in to this site, they will be asked to provide an e-mail address and password. 

The Regional Institute uses personal information for the following purposes:

  • The provision of services and content relevant to the user.
  • Website and system administration, including monitoring to prevent security breaches.
  • To allow users access to limited-entry areas of our websites as appropriate.
  • Communication, statistics, research and development.

The personal information collected on The Regional Institute website  will not be disclosed to a third party except where authorised by the user or required by Australian law.

3. Publication and control of personal information

When a user registers, or otherwise gives us personal information, The Regional Institute will not share that information with third parties without permission.

Personal information will only be used for the purposes stated above.

The Regional Institute will only publish personal information on the website (www.regional.org.au) or on MyRegional websites if it has been collected for the purposes outlined above with your knowledge, or if you have otherwise consented to its disclosure.

4. Access to the personal information we collect

The information maintained in a MyRegional Account for each registered user can be reviewed and modified at any time by clicking on the "My Profile" link and selecting the "Modify Personal Details and Preferences" option. The accuracy of the user data is solely the responsibility of the user and not of The Regional Institute.

Should a user wish to remove their account, they can contact The Regional Institute on the email address listed below.

5. Security of personal Information

Personal information will be held by in the strictest confidence. The Regional Institute takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we hold in our servers is not subject to loss, misuse or unauthorised access or alteration. It uses a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect personal information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure.

The Regional Institute endeavours to implement the highest levels of security to protect users privacy while using its website. However it should be noted that there is an inherent risk associated with the use of an insecure public network such as the World Wide Web. Though minor, the potential does exist that a user's transactions (including e-mail's) may be viewed, intercepted or modified by a third party.

Protection of children's personal information

The Regional Institute website is a general audience site and do not knowingly collect any personal information from children.

Governing legislation

This privacy statement is written in accordance with Australian law, the Privacy Act (Cth) 1988 www.privacy.gov.au/publications/privacy88_240103.doc and adheres to the National Privacy Principles in the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 www.privacy.gov.au/publications/npps01.html.