Privacy Policy

PERSONAL INFORMATION

WHAT IS “PERSONAL INFORMATION”?

Personal information is any information about you that identifies you or information by which your identity can be reasonably discovered. Examples are your name, address, lot number, unit entitlement, marital status, taxation information, income, email address, credit card information etc.

 

WHY WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

The agreement between your Owners Corporation and Strata Republic means we have to collect and hold personal information about you as a lot owner. Collecting your personal information is essential for us to be able to perform our obligations under the agreement. One of our obligations is to keep and maintain the books and records of the Owners Corporation that we represent.

By collecting personal information we are able to:

  • maintain the strata roll and minute book;
  • maintain a correspondence file;
  • issue notices of meetings;
  • distribute minutes of meetings;
  • issue levy notices;
  • arrange for recovery of levy arrears;
  • attend to routine repairs, maintenance and replacement of common property;
  • recover arrears of maintenance contributions;
  • make insurance claims;
  • arrange for legal advice;
  • allow for installation of satellite or broadband services; and
  • arrange for development applications on behalf of the scheme.
 

HOW DO WE COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

Where possible we collect your personal information directly from you but personal information is generally collected during the course of our relationship with the Owners Corporation.

For example, we may have a responsibility to maintain an owners’ register which includes your name and address. Or if you have an interest giving you a right to vote, you have to notify us in writing of that interest and this notification will include your name, your address, your lot and how your interest in the lot was acquired.

Privacy Policy

Sometimes personal information may be collected about you from other sources. Examples where we may receive personal information about you from another source and why this would happen are:

  • an insurance company – when we are making an insurance claim;
  • a real estate agent – when you are buying or selling your lot;
  • a solicitor or conveyancer – when you are buying or selling your lot;
  • a rental agent – if you let your property; or
  • a previous strata managing – when the Owners Corporation changes strata managing agents.

In most cases we will need you to specifically consent to any collection, use or disclosure of your personal information by us. We will usually need your consent in writing but we may accept your verbal consent in some circumstances. Sometimes we will assume you have given your consent by your conduct with us. However, no matter how your personal information is collected it is dealt with by us in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

 

USE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We use the personal information that we collect to provide the management services to you and your Owners Corporation that were agreed upon under the agreement.

As an example, we, as the strata managing agent for your Owners Corporation, may have to allow the inspection of the records we hold on the scheme’s behalf. These records will contain personal information about you. We may also have to provide certificates in relation to the financial position of your lot. This may include whether any debts or contributions are owed by you.

 

HOW ELSE DO WE DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

On occasion the law allows or forces us to disclose your personal information. For example, we may disclose your personal information to a prospective purchaser of your property that requires a certificate from us about the financial position of your lot. We may also disclose your personal information where you have consented to us doing so. Your consent may be given explicitly, such as in writing or verbally, or from your conduct we may assume you have given it.

Where we have to disclose your personal information to third parties in order that we can provide management services to you (e.g. a contractor providing maintenance services to common property adjoining your lot), we will assume your consent has been given when we are engaged to contract with the third party unless you tell us otherwise.

Generally however we do not disclose your personal information to a party outside our organisation, unless that party is contracted to us to provide management services on our behalf and that party is bound by the same privacy rules that bind us.

Some examples of parties outside our organisation to whom we may disclose your personal information and the reasons for disclosure are:

  • specialist trades and service providers such as builders, engineers, architects and plumbers;
  • insurance companies for whom we act as agents.

 

ACCURACY AND SECURITY OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

ENSURING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS UP-TO-DATE

We rely on the personal information we hold about you so that that we can efficiently perform our obligations under our agreement with your Owners Corporation.

For this reason, it is very important that the personal information we collect from you is accurate, complete and up to date.

During the course of our relationship with your scheme we will ask you to tell us of any changes to your personal information. However, you can contact us at any time to update your personal information or to tell us that the information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete.

 

IS MY PERSONAL INFORMATION SECURE?

We take all reasonable precautions to safeguard your personal information from loss, misuse or unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.

We employ a number of means to protect your personal information including:

  • external and internal premises security;
  • restricting access to personal information;
  • maintaining technology products to prevent unauthorised computer access;
  • regular reviewing and testing of our technology in order to improve the level of security;
  • internal policies in relation to our computer use.

It is our practice to securely destroy your personal information or delete it from our systems when we no longer require it or you ask us to destroy it. A record holding your personal information must be kept for at least three years after it is made (subject to any different legal requirements). Generally, we would destroy your personal information after that time.

 ACCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

CAN I ACCESS MY PERSONAL INFORMATION?

You may request access to any of the personal information we hold about you. In most cases, a summary of personal information such as your name and address details, contact telephone numbers and the matters your Owners Corporation has engaged us on are freely available to you by contacting our Privacy Officer (info@stratarepublic.com.au).

For more detailed requests for access to personal information (for example, access to information held in archives), a fee may be charged to cover the cost of retrieval and the supply of this information to you.

All requests for access to personal information will be handled as quickly as possible and we will endeavour to process any request for access within 30 days upon receipt. Some requests for access may take longer than 30 days to process depending upon the nature of the personal information being sought.

 

CAN YOUR REQUEST TO ACCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION BE DENIED?

We do not always have to provide you with access to your personal information on request.

We may refuse you access to personal information in a number of circumstances. For example, we may refuse your request where the information you seek is mixed with other information that would disclose personal information or sensitive information about any other owner or individual in the scheme. Another example where we may refuse access is where denying access is required or authorised by law or where the request for access is frivolous or vexatious.

If we deny your request for access to your personal information or refuse your request to correct your personal information, we will explain why.

 

 OUR PRIVACY POLICY AND COMPLAINTS

OUR PRIVACY POLICY MAY CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME

We regularly review all our policies and procedures. As a result we may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. This Privacy Policy was last amended in May 2015.

 

CONCERNS OR REQUESTS FOR ACCESS

If you have a question about this Privacy Policy or wish to lodge a request to access your personal information you can contact us in any of the following ways:

  • By telephoning us on 1300 884 104;
  • By writing to our Privacy Officer at PO Box R1860, Royal Exchange NSW 1225; or
  • By emailing us at info@stratarepublic.com.au
 

 

CAN I COMPLAIN ABOUT A BREACH OF MY PRIVACY?

If you believe that we have not protected your personal information as set out in this Privacy Policy you may lodge a complaint with us in any of the following ways:

  • By telephoning us on 1300 884 104;
  • By writing to our Privacy Officer at PO Box R1860, Royal Exchange NSW 1225; or
  • By emailing us at info@stratarepublic.com.au.

 

WHAT IF I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RESPONSE?

If you are not satisfied with the result of your complaint to us you can refer your complaint to the Federal Privacy Commissioner.

You may contact the Federal Privacy Commissioner:

  • By telephone on 1300 363 992;
  • In writing to – Director of Complaints, Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner (check address in your state)