Privacy statement
Council Customer Relationship Management Privacy Statement
Your right to data privacy is important to us
Tasman District Council complies with the New Zealand Privacy Act of 2020 when dealing with personal information collected via our Customer Relationship Management portal (CRM) and respects your legal right to privacy.
Whenever you interact with the Council, we collect personal information relevant to that transaction. While this information is stored and could be used to enhance or benefit your relationship with us this process does not in any way exclude any of your rights under the Privacy Act.
Throughout this Statement Council is referred to as “we”, “our” or “us”. We may update this Statement from time to time. The most current version will be online.
Please refer to our Privacy Policy which sets out how we collect, use, disclose and protect your personal information. This policy does not limit or exclude any of your rights under the Privacy Act 2020.
As well as the Privacy Act 2020, the Council operates under and complies with several New Zealand acts, such as the Local Government Act of 2002, and conducts business and provides digital and in-person services, that require the Council to collect and use certain information including your personal information.
The Customer Relationship Management Portal’s Privacy Statement describes:
What is Personal Information?
The New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 defines personal information as information about an identifiable individual, including information about a deceased person maintained by the Registrar-General.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner defines it as information which tells us something about a specific individual.
Simply put, personal information is information that describes a person directly (e.g., eye colour) or identifies them indirectly (e.g., via physical address).
When the Council collects and uses your personal information, it applies data privacy principles and data security mechanisms, to better safeguard your private data and to be resilient against unauthorised access or misuse.
Why does the Council Need to Collect and Use Personal Information?
The Council collects and uses personal information in the CRM to be able to:
process and issue consents, licenses, or permits
process payments made or received
process applications for Council services such as booking of Council owned facilities
communicate with individuals using the contact details individuals have provided
respond to individual’s requests or enquiries
provide Council news, events, plans, initiatives, services or facilities updates
comply with New Zealand laws and regulations
carry out Council operations in a cost-effective manner
support general administration processes
identify and implement customer experience improvements
authenticate individuals prior to allowing them to access, update, and delete their personal information
protect personal information from unauthorised access and unauthorised modification.
What Personal Information Does the Council Collect and Use?
The Council collects the following personal information from you:
name
date of birth
contact information such as
physical address
postal address
phone number
email address
details of person approved to act on your behalf
details about your interactions with us
billing, purchase or financial information
information about your interactions with us
location
enquiry status
information provided by you in connection with, or specifically related to your communications with us or, you use of our services or facilities.
When Do We Collect Personal Information?
The Council collects personal information about you when you, or someone who is approved to act on your behalf, provides information to us. This correspondence with the Council includes the following methods:
in person
by letter
direct electronic communication including via:
phone
e-mail
text message (SMS)
instant messaging
video conferencing
by completing and submitting online feedback or information input forms
creating a user account on our Customer Relationship Management portal (CRM)
signing up for and using Council online services, applications (including Council mobile apps).
The Council may keep a record of when and what information you acquire from us.
The Council may collect personal information about you from other entities where this method and use adheres to the New Zealand Privacy Act and other relevant legislation.
We may disclose personal information about you to:
any person engaged by the Council to provide products or services to you on our behalf, where your personal information is necessary for the provision of those products or services
Council Controlled Organisations (CCO), in order to assist with the functions and services that they provide
any third party, if we are required to do so under any laws or regulations, or in the course of legal proceedings or other investigations. This may include sharing of video footage with the New Zealand Police or other public sector agencies, where criminal activity is reported or suspected
any person you authorise us to disclose your personal information to
any person, if that information is held in a public register such as information held on property files or the rating information database
a third party contracted by the Council to provide data hosting services and who may be based in other countries. The geographical data storage region is restricted to Australia and appropriate safeguards (e.g., data encryption) are put in place to ensure adequate protection of your personal information
any person if that information is already publicly available.
How Long Do We Hold Onto Your Personal Information?
We retain personal information that we collect, both on active and archival systems, for as long as
it is administratively necessary to so; and
it is in accordance with the Council’s Information Retention and Disposal Schedule.
The Public Records Act 2005 requires the Council to retain “protected records” indefinitely. Under certain circumstances, your personal information may be included within a protected record, including submissions you make in relation to bylaws, annual plans, and district or regional planning instruments.
How Can I Access, Verify, and Correct My Personal Information?
You have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if it has changed or is incorrect.
You can amend some of your personal information using the Council’s myTasman portal.
To request a copy of your personal information, and/or to have it corrected use one of the following contact methods:
submit a request for official information via the myTasman portal
phone us at 03 543 8400
visit us in person at one of our service centres.
Where Can I Find Out More or Raise Concerns?
If you are concerned that the Council may have breached the Privacy Act or if you are not sure of our obligations, you can contact the Privacy Commissioner. Privacy Hotline: 0800 803 909 or contact us directly via the myTasman portal or 03 543 8400, or at one of our service centres.
New Zealand Privacy Act 2020
The New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 provides rules for protecting personal information and places responsibilities on organisations in how the handle personal information.
Office of the Privacy Commissioner
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is an independent crown entity that provides a variety of important privacy functions to the New Zealand public including the investigation of complaints about breaches of privacy, and the development of codes of practices for specific sectors including Local Government. If you are concerned that the Council has breached the Privacy Act or if you are not sure of our obligations, you can contact the Privacy Commissioner.
Council Resources
The following Council resources may answer questions you have in relation to personal information and data privacy: