Your privacy is important to the Dunedin City Council. Our Privacy Policy sets out how and why the DCC collects and stores your personal information, what we will use it for and with whom we can share it.
We take our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020 and the information privacy principles in the Privacy Act seriously. This Privacy Policy has been prepared in accordance with our obligations and your rights under the Privacy Act.
Certain products and services we provide may be subject to additional terms and conditions and privacy policies. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read the terms and conditions and any specific privacy policy that apply to the products and services we offer.
At times we may amend the policy in response to developments in our services or privacy best practice.
Collection and use of personal information
We need to collect personal information for a number of reasons, however, this will only be necessary for a function or activity of the DCC.
This information may include your name, gender, date of birth, image, addresses, email address and telephone number where relevant to responding to your requests for information or providing you with services and/or use of our facilities.
We may also collect personal information regarding your communications with us or how you interact with us.
We will hold your personal information in accordance with the requirements set out in the Privacy Act 2020. In particular:
- Your personal information will only be used for the purposes for which it is collected.
- It will be retained only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which the information was collected (including any time that we are required by law to retain such information).
- We will not release your personal information to any third party except where required to, or permitted to by law, where you have authorised us to do so, or where disclosure is connected to the purpose for which the information was collected.
- Information we collect will not be used in ways that you have not consented to.
For more detailed information about the Privacy Act you can refer to the Privacy Commissioner's Guide to the Privacy Act 2020. If you are concerned that the DCC may have breached the Privacy Act or if you are not sure of our obligations, you can contact the Privacy Commissioner as follows:
- Privacy hotline: 0800 803 909
- Privacy Commissioner’s website (link to external website, new window)
How we collect personal information
Wherever possible your personal information will be collected from you, or anyone you authorise to provide us with your personal information.
We may collect personal information when you, or someone acting on your behalf, provides it to us directly. For example, when you:
- Communicate with us in person, by letter, phone or electronically.
- Complete and submit forms or applications for consents, licences, approvals, permits, funding, or other authorisations.
- Use or register for any of our services or facilities, such as our online services and apps, including libraries, hire of DCC facilities, online payment services, newsletters, or service updates.
- Submit a written submission, request or other feedback.
- Follow or post comments in response to our social media or other online communications.
- Apply for employment with us.
- Appear in any images and audio from Closed Circuit Television or body cameras, as described below.
Please be aware that this is an indicative list of examples only.
We may keep a record of any information you receive from us.
We may monitor and record your phone calls with us for quality control or staff training purposes. If your call is to be monitored and recorded, we will let you know at the time of the call.
We may collect personal information about you from other organisations, entities or persons to fulfil a necessary activity. These might include:
- Our related organisations, including Council Controlled Organisations.
- Our suppliers, which include organisations such as:
- Land Information New Zealand
- QV
- other government departments
- solicitors/conveyancers
- the New Zealand Police
- credit reporting agencies and other organisations, entities and persons where you have expressly authorised us to request and obtain your information from them or you have authorised them to provide your information to us.
When you visit or return to one of our websites, we may use technology solutions such as cookies to provide you with better access to tailored information and services. A cookie is a small data file that a website or app sends to your device, which may be stored for later retrieval by the website or app. Some cookies we use last only for the duration of your website or app session and expire when you close your browser or exit the app. Other cookies are used to remember you when you return.
We use Google Analytics, Monsido and Funnelback to further understand how some of our services may be improved. These services rely on the use of cookies. For details on what information is collected via the use of cookies and how it is stored and used, see Google’s privacy policy (link to external website, new window), Monsido’s privacy policy (link to external website, new window) and Funnelback’s privacy policy ((link to external website, new window).
We may use non-personalised statistics to monitor site traffic, analyse trends, gather demographic information, improve services and user experience. These anonymised and/or amalgamated statistics do not include personal information.
We use ReadSpeaker to read the content of pages aloud and as part of this we gather data on how the application is used to assess how our service could be improved. For further information see ReadSpeaker’s privacy policy (link to external website, new window).
We may collect video footage through various means, including:
- Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) may be used in particular areas to monitor traffic movements, secure facilities such as service centres, libraries, parking facilities and recreation centres, and to monitor public places in order to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. Where possible, signage will advise when CCTV equipment is being used. Only authorised people will be able to watch the CCTV footage for the purposes mentioned above or to regularly check the system is working. We will not actively attempt to identify individuals from the CCTV footage unless a reported or suspected incident needs investigation.
- Council parking officers and animal services staff may wear body cameras which are activated as required. This is to reduce abusive or threatening behaviour. Recordings of violent or threatening incidents will be forwarded to the New Zealand Police and the recordings are otherwise disposed of within 28 days. We will not film or keep any other recorded activity.
- Public sessions of the Council meetings are broadcast live online and then made available on our website. Signage will clearly state the meeting is being filmed before you enter the meeting room. Elected members will mostly be filmed as they speak and debate at the meeting. However, the filming may include shots of the public in the background and anyone speaking in a public session.
How the DCC uses your information
The personal information we collect from you or someone acting on your behalf may be used for any of the following purposes:
- To provide you with services or facilities – including those you have requested and those our Council Controlled Organisations provide to you.
- To confirm your identity. This is to ensure we provide you with appropriate and relevant services and information and to avoid inappropriate release or use of your information.
- To process any consent, licence, approval, permit or other authorisation for which you have applied.
- To process your application to use or register for any of our services or facilities, including our online services. To process payments received or made by the DCC.
- To respond to your correspondence, requests, enquiries, feedback or for customer service related activities.
- To update any information that we currently hold about or in connection with you in our existing records, database or systems.
- To assist us in analysing, and further developing and improving our products and services.
- To comply with relevant laws and regulations.
- For any specific purpose that we notify you of at the time when your personal information is collected.
- To provide you with information about DCC (or Council Controlled Organisations') events, news, services or facilities we think may interest you.
- For general administrative and business purposes and to carry out activities connected with the running of our business or operations such as personnel training or testing and maintenance of computer and other systems.
- For any other purposes that you authorise.
Sharing your information
Information will only be shared with your consent or where there is a statutory requirement to share it.
We may disclose personal information about you to:
- Any person engaged by the DCC to provide products or services on our behalf, where your personal information is necessary for the provision of those products or services.
- Our related organisations, in order to assist with the functions and services they provide.
- A third party, if we are required to do so under laws or regulations, or in the course of legal proceedings or other investigations. This may include sharing CCTV footage and footage from body cameras worn by parking officers with the New Zealand Police or other public sector agencies where criminal activity is reported or suspected. The New Zealand Police may also access live feeds from certain CCTV cameras from time to time for law enforcement, investigation and emergency response purposes.
- Any person we may notify you of at the time we collect your information and any person you authorise us to disclose your personal information to.
- Some information we hold about or in relation to you may be made available to the public, such as:
- any submission you make in relation to bylaws, annual plans and 10 year plans, district plans, or draft or proposed strategies and policies. Submissions are made available in full (including the submitter’s name and organisation) on our website and at our main office;
- information held on property files or our rating information database; and
- video footage of Council meetings that are intended for broadcast or to be otherwise available for public viewing.
Storage of personal information
We have strict security procedures covering the storage of your information in order to prevent unauthorised access and to comply with the terms of the Privacy Act 2020.
We do not sell, trade or rent your personal information to others. All data is stored behind corporate firewalls and only specific employees can access your personal data. The DCC has in place measures to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of your personal information. Our servers are protected by reasonable physical and electronic security measures.
This means that sometimes we may ask you for proof of identity or for other personal information before we can process your enquiry further.
How long do we hold personal information?
We may retain personal information we collect (for as long as administratively necessary or required by law. This is in accordance with the DCC’s information retention and disposal schedule or applicable statutory requirements.
The Public Records Act 2005 requires us to retain protected records (external link) indefinitely. In some circumstances, your personal information may be included within a protected record, including submissions you make in relation to bylaws, annual plans, and district or planning instruments.
If you do not provide requested personal information
If you do not provide all the personal information that we request, we may not be able to adequately respond to your correspondence, process applications, provide requested services or facilities , process payments or otherwise deal with any requests or enquiries you have submitted.
In some circumstances, you are legally obligated to provide information and the DCC is fulfilling a statutory requirement.
Security and accuracy
We have implemented reasonable measures designed to keep your information safe and secure, and protected against loss, other misuse, and unauthorised access, use, modification, or disclosure.
We will also undertake reasonable measures to ensure personal information is accurate, current and relevant.
DCC Website and Cookies
You may browse and access information contained on our website without providing personal information. This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media.
This website does not use cookies to collect or store personal information such as financial transaction or bank details.
Security of web-based personal information
A secure method using SSL (secure socket layer) encryption is used when customers use services such as online payments.
Links to third parties
The website may contain links to other websites operated by third parties. The DCC takes no responsibility for the privacy practices of third parties. You should consult the privacy policies of each linked website to determine the policy that each third party adheres to.
Website data
This website may record information about user behaviour. This data cannot be used to identify individuals or any personal information. Any information collected will be used to improve your website experience and will not include any information that identifies you.
Access and editing personal information
At any stage, you have the right to access and correct or update your personal information or to request not to receive communications from us. This can be done by contacting us by email dcc@dcc.govt.nz or by phone on 03 477 4000. It is your responsibility to ensure that personal information provided to us is accurate.
Official Information Act and LGOIMA Requests
All enquiries about or formal requests for information made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 or the Privacy Act 2020 should be in writing to:
Information requests, Governance Manager, Dunedin City Council, PO Box 5045, Dunedin 9058 or email: officialinformation@dcc.govt.nz.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
From time to time, at our discretion, we may change aspects of our Privacy Policy with or without notice to you. All changes will be posted on this page so that you are always aware of how we are handling your personal information. If you have any further questions relating to this Privacy Policy, please contact us through the website enquiry form or phone 03 477 4000.
Accessing and correcting your personal information
You can ask us to confirm whether we hold any personal information about you and you may request access to your personal information by emailing privacy@dcc.govt.nz or via the Privacy Commissioner’s 'About Me' tool.
Once we have verified your identity, we will provide you with confirmation and access, unless we believe we can withhold the information under the Privacy Act.
You can ask us to correct the personal information we hold by emailing privacy@dcc.govt.nz. If we agree that your personal information needs to be corrected, we will do so and provide you with an amended record, if requested.
Your right to access and correct any personal information we hold is subject to the Privacy Act.
General Data Protection Rules (GDPR)
If you are in the European Union, you have additional rights in relation to your personal data under the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (in effect on 25 May 2018). Under the GDPR you have the right to:
- Withdraw consent. You have the right to notify the DCC that you no longer want us to process or use your personal data. You can do that by contacting DCC on +64 3 477 4000 or dcc@dcc.govt.nz
- Right to data portability. You have the right to obtain a copy of any personal data stored and processed by DCC and you may direct DCC to transfer your personal data to another controller via csv format.
- Right to erasure/right to be forgotten. You have the right to request that any of your personal data is deleted from our records. Please note that while we can delete your personal data from our current records, data may be stored in DCC inactive and archived records and will be deleted in accordance with DCC's document management policies. In some cases, your personal data may continue to be stored in archived records of transactions or activities where DCC is required by law to retain such records.
- Right to restriction of processing. You may request that DCC restrict the processing of your personal data. This may affect your ability to use or navigate some of our customer services.
Further information and complaints
For further information about this Privacy Policy or if you feel that we have breached our obligations, or have a privacy issue you wish to discuss, please contact our Privacy Officer at:
www.dunedin.govt.nz/general-feedback
03 477 4000
Dunedin City Council – Privacy Officer
PO Box 5045, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
If you believe there is a privacy dispute we cannot resolve, you can make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner, who can investigate potential breaches of the privacy principles. You can contact the Privacy Commissioner at:
0800 803 909 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm)
Office of the Privacy Commissioner, PO Box 10094, Wellington 6143