Privacy statement
The Town collects information from you for a range of statutory and administrative reasons and will keep personal information confidential, except when there is a statutory or legal requirement to disclose it.
Collecting information by the Town is done lawfully, fairly, and without undue intrusion in accordance with the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (“the PRIS Act”) and the Information Privacy Principles (“IPPS”) set out in the PRIS Act.
This statement contains information about how we collect, store, use, protect and disclose your personal information.
We are committed to safeguarding your data and your personal information that we hold against misuse, loss, modification, and unauthorised access or disclosure in accordance with the PRIS Act and the IPPs and, where required, also in compliance with the information access rights set out in the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (“the FOI Act”).
Collection of personal information
The Town of East Fremantle maintains a database of properties within the Town, which includes personal information relating to property owners such as names, addresses, and also records of correspondence relating to a property.
Personal information is also collected when you provide it to the Town, for example:
- When you join one of the Town of East Fremantle services or facilities (Commonwealth Home Support Program/Neighbourhood Link)
- Through correspondence, communication and service requests
- When you register for an event or program.
Collecting through our websites
Where our websites allow you to make comments or give feedback, the Town of East Fremantle collects email addresses and sometimes other contact details. These contact details will only be used to respond to this feedback.
If any services and functions on the Town of East Fremantle websites are delivered and hosted by third parties, these services will have their own privacy policies, so when you choose to use these functions, the personal information provided will be used and stored in accordance with their privacy policies.
Cookies and website analytics
The Town of East Fremantle uses a range of tools provided by third parties, including Google and their internet service providers to collect or view website traffic information. These sites have their own privacy policies. The Town also use cookies, and session tools (which do not collect any personal information) to improve your experience when accessing our website.
The information collected by these tools may include:
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your server (or IP) address
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the day and time you visited the site
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the pages you visited on our site
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the address of the last page you visited
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the operating system you are using
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rough geographic location
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internet service provider (e.g. Telstra)
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the type of browser and version you are using.
The Town of East Fremantle uses the information to maintain, secure and improve its website and to enhance your experience when using them.
In relation to Google Analytics, you can opt out of the collection of this information using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
To the extent that this data could make a person identifiable, the Town will not attempt to identify individuals unless required by law or to investigate improper activity in relation to the Town’s website.
Social media
The Town of East Fremantle uses social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) to share and promote its services and functions. When you communicate with the Town using these services the Town of East Fremantle may collect personal information, but it is only used to assist in communicating with you and the public. The social networking service will also handle the personal information for its own purposes. These sites have their own privacy policies.
Email addresses, telephone numbers
The Town of East Fremantle collects your email addresses, telephone numbers (mobile and landline), address(es) and, sometimes other contact details, for the purposes of contacting you as a ratepayer or resident, when a request is logged with the Town or when you subscribe to services. The Town uses this information for the purpose of communicating with you in regard to Council business, such as rates, debts, complaints, for sending updates on the activities of the particular service, conducting surveys for ongoing research and development of the Town’s services, and to administer contact lists.
Disclosure and use of personal information
Any personal information collected by the Town of East Fremantle will only be used for the purpose for which it has been collected, or for a purpose you would reasonably expect in carrying out the Town’s activities and functions. The information may also be used for ongoing research and development of council services.
The Town will disclose your information to third parties in the following circumstances only:
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under an information sharing agreement or information sharing request, with another public entity.
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with your consent
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to undertake market research for the Town in which case the supplier is prohibited from using personal information except to provide these services to the Town of East Fremantle. The Town has a robust procurement process and only engages reputable market research companies.
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if, on an application by a person for information under the FOI Act, the Town of East Fremantle (or the Western Australian Information Commissioner on appeal), adjudges that disclosure of that personal information would on balance be in the public interest.
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as required or authorised by law or in response to a request from an investigative authority.
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if the use or disclosure is necessary for a law enforcement function to be performed by a law enforcement agency.
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in order to complete or improve the purpose or function for which the information was provided.
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If the use or disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen:
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a serious threat to the life, health, safety or welfare of any individual; or
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a serious threat to public health, public safety or public welfare; or
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a threat to the life, health, safety or welfare of any individual due to family
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If it believes on reasonable grounds that non-compliance with the PRIS legislation is necessary for the purposes of its, or any other entity’s, child protection functions.
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If the information relates to family violence or alleged family violence and the individual to whom the collected information relates is the perpetrator, or alleged perpetrator, of the family violence.
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for collecting monies owed to the Town.
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in the recovering of outstanding library materials or monies, through a contracted debt collection agency.
The protection of information
The Town is committed to safeguarding information against misuse, loss, modification and unauthorised access or disclosure by virtue of specific provisions in the Crimes Act 1914, Public Service Act 1999 , Public Service Regulations 1999, Freedom of Information Act 1992, Freedom of Information Regulations 1993, Local Government Act 1995, Local Government (Administration) Regulations 1996, Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA), Information Commissioner Act 2024 (WA) and State Records Act 2000.
The Town of East Fremantle will take reasonable steps to protect personal information from unauthorised access, use or disclosure. The Town will implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security of personal information, including secure storage, access controls, and staff training.
Security of personal information
Your personal information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
When your personal information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, the Town of East Fremantle will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify the personal information. However, most of the personal information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by the Town of East Fremantle in accordance with the State Records Act 2000 and, the Town of East Fremantle's Recordkeeping Plan.
Storage
The Town is committed to keeping secure the data that is provided and works actively to ensure that the information about you is stored securely and accessed for approved purposes only.
Access to personal information
Under the FOI Act and the PRIS Act, you have the right to access and correct the personal information the Town of East Fremantle holds about you. Property owners, residents and business operators in the Town bear the responsibility of informing the Town of changes to their contact details.
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Access to the Town’s records by employees and contractors is regulated according to role-based security classifications.
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Access to the Town’s records by the general public is in accordance with the FOI Act and in accordance with Part 5 Division 7 of the Local Government Act 1995 (“the LG Act”).
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Access to the Town’s records by Council Members is through the CEO, in accordance with the LG Act and the Town's Privacy Policy.
If you wish to access your personal information, you are able to contact the council via admin@eastfremantle.wa.gov.au
Requests for access to documents that are not publicly available and held by the Town of East Fremantle Council are handled under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 and can be directed to:
Freedom of Information Officer
Town of East Fremantle
PO Box 1097 Fremantle WA 6959
admin@eastfremantle.wa.gov.au
Ph: 9339 9339
The Town will not charge any fee for the access request but may charge an administrative fee for providing a copy of the personal information.
In order to protect the personal information, the Town may require identification from you before releasing the requested information.
Maintaining the quality of the personal information
It is important to the Town that personal information is up to date. All reasonable steps will be taken to make sure that personal information is accurate, complete and up to date. If you find that the information the Town has is inaccurate, please advise the Town as soon as practicable so that records can be updated and to ensure the Town can continue to provide a quality service.
Complaints
Should you believe the Town has breached the PRIS Act regarding the handling of your personal or sensitive information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Town. If you are dissatisfied with our response or you do not receive a response within a reasonable timeframe (usually 30 days) then you can make your complaint to the Office of the Information Commissioner
Should you believe the Town did not correctly amend your personal details, you have the right to make an application for amendment of personal information under the FOI Act; and if you are not satisfied that it has been correctly amended, then you may lodge an external application with the Office of the Information Commissioner.