East Gippsland Water is committed to protecting the information it holds and uses about you.
East Gippsland Water (EGW) will keep personal information about customers confidential. EGW complies with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Victoria) and the 10 information privacy principles contained in the Act. We also comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth).
We use the information we collect to provide you with the service you request and to seek feedback on the services that we provide. Your personal information may be provided to a third party acting on our behalf, who are also required to act in accordance with the legislation above.
We may disclose your information to other parties as required by law, or to contractors, who are required to comply with our privacy obligations. If we wish to use your personal information for other purposes, such as marketing and press releases, we will seek your consent.
Information in relation to your privacy can be located on our website at www.egwater.vic.gov.au or for a copy of East Gippsland Water’s Privacy Policy by contacting East Gippsland Water on 1800 671 841.
Collection of personal information
We will only collect information that is necessary for us to provide you with water and sewerage services. This includes information necessary for us to provide you with that service. The types of personal information we collect and hold will depend on the service you request and may include:
- Name and address
- Date of birth
- Previous address
- Telephone numbers
- Bank details
- Real estate agent (if a tenant)
It is your responsibility to advise us of any changes to your personal details to ensure we are able to keep our records accurate and up to date. Wherever possible, we will collect information directly from you. If you choose not to provide us with the requested information, we may not be able to process your application.
Where we collect information from a third party, we will advise you of this as soon as possible after the event.
We will not track your Internet activity when you visit our website, and we will only collect your email address to respond to your enquiry if you choose to contact us via the Internet.
How we use your personal information
We will use the information we collect to provide you with the service you request. If we wish to use your personal information for other purposes, such as marketing and press releases, we will seek your consent. We may share your information with a third party, however the information will always be used in accordance with our policies as stated. We may disclose your information to other parties as required by law, or to contractors, who are required to comply with our privacy obligations.
Protecting and maintaining your personal information
We will take all reasonable steps to protect the information we hold about you from unauthorised access, use and disclosure. We will destroy your information by shredding it, when it is no longer needed. We do not use any form of encryption (encoding software) to protect information you send from your computer to us over the Internet. If you use our Internet site, you should be aware of the risks associated with this.
Accessing your personal information
If you wish to access the information we hold about you, contact our Privacy Officer on 1300 720 700, or arrange to visit us at 133 Macleod Street, Bairnsdale. Where possible, your request will be dealt with immediately, although you will need to complete an Application for Access to Personal Information form. You should provide your address or meter charges account number as the first source of identification. If you can show the information we hold about you is not accurate or complete, please advise us so that we can amend it. You can only gain access to your own personal information.
Privacy complaints
If you have any concerns about how we handle your personal information, or require further information, please contact our Privacy Officer on 1800 671 841, or arrange to visit us at 133 Macleod Street, Bairnsdale. If our staff cannot satisfy your concerns, you may lodge a formal complaint using a Privacy Complaint form, which is available from the East Gippsland Water office, or by clicking here.