Thank you for visiting BoardLinks, an online service managed by the Office for Women in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (the Department).
This Privacy Notice explains the Department's collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in relation to your use of BoardLinks.
More information about the Department’s handling of personal information is contained in the Department's Website Privacy Notice and Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy also contains information about how you can seek access or correction to your personal information. It also contains details about how you can complain about a breach of the Privacy Act by us, and how we will deal with such a complaint.
The primary role of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (the Department) is to provide high quality advice and support to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, Portfolio Ministers, and Assistant Ministers to achieve a coordinated and innovative approach to the development and implementation of Government policies.
We coordinate and develop policy across the Government in economic, domestic and international issues, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs and public service stewardship.
Find out more about the Department.
The Department’s privacy obligations
As an Australian Government agency, the Department has obligations for handling personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act).
The Privacy Act defines ‘personal information’ as ‘information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable whether it is true or not and whether it is recorded in a material form or not’.
The 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act set out the Department’s obligations in relation to the collection, storage, use, disclosure, quality and security of personal information and access and correction rights of individuals in relation to their personal information.
How the Department collects, uses, discloses and safeguards personal information
The Department may collect personal information from a person directly, or from their authorised representative, or via a third party if permitted by law. We may collect personal information in a range of ways, including through surveys, email and phone communication, forms or notices, online portals, registration and via our websites.
The primary purpose of collection, use and disclosure under this privacy notice is so we can maintain a database of eligible women who are seeking appointment to Government boards. Your personal information may be provided to other Commonwealth departments and agencies, BoardLinks Champions, their Ministers, and staff within those ministerial offices, for the purposes of facilitating such appointments.
The Department will only use and disclose your personal information for a secondary purpose if APP 6 allows it. We may disclose personal information to overseas entities (such as a foreign government or agency) where this is a necessary part of our work. We will only do this with your consent or in other circumstances allowed by APP 8.
We may also use third party providers or websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Campaign Monitor, LinkedIn, YouTube and others to deliver or otherwise communicate content. Such third-party sites have their own privacy policies and may send their own cookies to your computer. We do not control the setting of third-party cookies and suggest you check the third-party websites for more information about their cookies and how to manage them.
The Department takes seriously its obligations to protect the personal information it holds. We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information against misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps include:
- classifying and storing records securely as per Australian government security guidelines
- internal access to information is on a ‘need to know’ basis and only by authorised personnel
- monitoring system access which can only be accessed by authenticated credentials
- ensuring our buildings are secure
- regularly updating and auditing our storage and data security systems.
When personal information is collected from a third party, we take steps to inform of the collection. This may occur through this Privacy Policy, notices or discussions with our staff.
If personal information that we hold is lost, or subject to unauthorised access or disclosure, we will respond in line with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's Data breach preparation and response —a guide to managing data breaches in accordance with the Privacy Act. We aim to provide timely advice to affected individuals if a data breach is likely to result in serious harm. When personal information collected by the Department is no longer required, it is stored, managed or destroyed consistent with the Archives Act 1983. Refer also to our website Privacy Notice for further information.
The types of information we hold
In performing our functions and in servicing BoardLinks, the Department may collect and hold the following kinds of personal and sensitive information, including as provided by you when registering:
- identity and contact details for individuals (e.g. name, phone, email and postal addresses)
- information relating to personal circumstances (e.g. age, gender, cultural and linguistic background, disabilities, indigenous status)
- other information relating to identity (e.g. date of birth, citizenship and visa status)
- information about employment (e.g. employment status and work history, education status, referee details), and
- photographs and audio recordings of individuals.
We may also collect information about how you use our online services and applications. For example, we use social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to talk with the public and our staff. When you talk with us using these services we may collect your personal information to communicate with you and the public. These social networking services will also handle your personal information for their own purposes. These services have their own privacy policies. You can access the privacy policies for these services on their websites.
Access and correction
You have a right to request access to personal information we hold about you, and to request its correction. We will respond to requests for access or correction within 30 days.
The Privacy Act allows us to refuse access in certain cases, including where an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act) would apply. Where we have refused access, we will give you reasons in writing. We will also provide you with information about how you can dispute the decision.
To request access to, or correction of, your personal information please contact our Privacy Officer. Discussing your request with our Privacy Officer will help us give you early guidance about your request. This may include guidance about whether your request is best dealt with under the Privacy Act, the FOI Act or another arrangement.
How to contact us
Contact info@boardlinks.gov.au if you want to:
- ask questions about the Department’s Privacy Policy;
- query how your personal information is collected, held, used, stored or disclosed by the Department;
- obtain access to or seek correction of your personal information held by the Department; or
- make a privacy complaint about the Department.
Alternatively, you can contact the Department’s Privacy Officer at:
Email: privacy@pmc.gov.au
Post: The Privacy Officer
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
PO Box 6500
CANBERRA ACT 2600
We review this Notice and our Privacy Policy regularly, and may update it from time to time.
Privacy complaints
If you are not satisfied with how we have collected, held, used or disclosed your personal information, you can make a formal complaint to our Privacy Officer.
Your complaint should include:
- A short description of your privacy concern,
- Any action or dealings you have had with staff of the Department to address your concern; and
- Your preferred contact details so we can contact you about your complaint.
If we do not resolve your privacy complaint to your satisfaction, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
The OAIC can receive privacy complaints through:
- the online Privacy Complaint form (refer to the OAIC’s website)
- by email (email that is not encrypted can be copied or tracked) at enquiries@oaic.gov.au
- by mail (if a person has concerns about postal security, they might want to consider sending their complaint by registered mail)
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Sydney Offices
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001
- by fax at +61 2 9284 9666