Privacy information

The Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 provides the people of NSW with rights in relation to the collection, storage, use and release of personal information by public sector agencies. Personal information collected by the Office of the Children’s Guardian will be managed in accordance with this Act. 

The Act defines personal information as:

Information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database and whether or not recorded in material form) about an individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information or opinion. (Section 4)

The Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 provides rights in relation to the collection, storage, use and release of health information by public sector agencies and some other organisations. Health information is defined in section 6 of the Act. Health information collected by the Office of the Children’s Guardian will be managed in accordance with this Act. 

Unsolicited information

When you visit our website to read pages or download information, we do not collect any personal information about you.

This website uses Google Analytics to help analyse how users use the site. The tool uses "cookies," which are text files placed on your computer, to collect standard Internet log information and visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including IP address) is transmitted to Google. This information is then used to evaluate visitors' use of the website and to compile statistical reports on website activity for the Office of the Children's Guardian, subject to clause 7 of the Google Analytics terms of service. 

For security purposes, we use software programs to monitor network traffic and identify unauthorised attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage. Unauthorised interference with computers or data is a criminal offence. We may disclose data which provides evidence of such offences to law enforcement agencies.

Solicited information

If you contact us via a method set out on the Complaints section of this website, you will  need to provide us with personal information  to allow us to contact or reply to you. This information will be held at our office at Strawberry Hills NSW, and disposed of in accordance with the State Records General Disposal Authority for Administrative Records.

Under the NSW Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009, you may apply to access records we hold about you, and apply to amend or correct information which is inaccurate, irrelevant, out of date, incomplete or misleading.

Email messages

Your email messages will be:

1. retained and stored electronically in accordance with standards and authorities under the State Records Act 1998 which fix variable retention periods depending on the transaction which is recorded
2. used and disclosed for the purpose of replying to you and subject to the requirements of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and other applicable legislative provisions.

Electronic mail is not a secure form of communication and we cannot guarantee that your message will not be viewed by someone else when being sent to us. We strongly recommend that you write to us if the information you wish to provide is highly confidential.

More information about privacy

The Office of the Children’s Guardian has a Privacy Management Plan, describing the steps taken to protect privacy and the procedures to be followed when people seek internal review of conduct, which they claim breaches an information protection principle or a privacy code of practice. A copy of the plan can be obtained from our office by phoning (02) 8219 3600.

For more information about NSW privacy legislation visit the website of the Information and Privacy Commission.