Privacy Policy

The personal information we collect may include your name, gender, date of birth, image, addresses, email address and telephone numbers where they are relevant to responding to your requests, the use of our online services or facilities. We may also collect information regarding your communications with us.

We will hold your personal information in accordance with the requirements set out in the Privacy Act 2020.

See more here: Privacy Commissioner’s website.

Some examples of when would collect personal information include, when you:

• Apply for employment with us
• Correspond with us, whether in person, by letter, phone or electronically
• Complete and submit forms we provide for applications for consents (e.g. our Do It Online forms), licences, approvals, permits, funding or other authorisations
• Use of any of our services or facilities, including signing up for and using our online services and apps, such as My Gore.
• Written submissions, requests or other feedback.
• Follow or post comments in response to our social media or other online communications
• We may keep a record of any information that you acquire from us.
• We may monitor and record phone calls made to or by us for quality control or staff training purposes. If a call is to be monitored and recorded, you will be informed at the time of the call.
• We may collect personal information about you from other organisations or persons, such as:
  
  • Our related organisations, including Council Controlled Organisations
  • Our suppliers which include organisations such as:
    • Land Information New Zealand
    • The New Zealand Police;
    • QV
    • Solicitors/conveyancers
    • Credit reporting agencies
    • Other organisations and persons where you have expressly authorised them to provide us with 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.
• To confirm your identity. This is to avoid inappropriate release or use of your information.
• To respond to correspondence, requests, enquiries, feedback or customer service related activities.
• To process any consent, licence, approval, permit or other authorisation for which you have applied.
• To process your application to use or to register for any of our services or facilities, including our online services, and to process payments received or made by us.
• To provide you with information about our events, news, services, or facilities we think may interest you.
• To comply with relevant laws and regulations.
• 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 specific purpose that we notify you of at the time your personal information is collected.
• For general administrative and business purposes

We may disclose personal information about you to:

• Any person engaged by the Council to provide products or services to you on our behalf, where your personal information is necessary for the provision of those products or services
• 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 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 you authorise us to disclose your personal information to
• Any person, if that information is publicly available (information held on property files or the rating information database, video footage of Council meetings that are livestreamed for public viewing etc.)
• Some information may be made available to the public when you make a submission in relation to bylaws, annual plans, district or regional plans, or draft or proposed policies. Submissions are made available in full (including the submitter’s name and contact details) on our website and at our main office.

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 us at [email protected] or by using the About Me form on the Privacy Commissioner's website.

You can also correct your personal information we hold by emailing us at [email protected].

Your right to access and correct any personal information we hold is subject to the Privacy Act.

We may retain all personal information we collect (on both our active systems and our archive systems) for as long as administratively necessary.

The Public Records Act 2005 requires us to retain “protected records” 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 regional planning instruments.

If you do not provide all the personal information we request, we may not be able to adequately respond to your correspondence, process submitted applications, provide requested services or facilities, process payments or otherwise deal with any requests or enquiries you have submitted.

We use Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager (services that provide aggregated reports on website activity) to find ways to improve our website. These services rely on the use of cookies.

For details on what information is collected via these cookies, and how it is stored and used, see Google's privacy policy.

We fully understand that some people do not want their online activity to be tracked even if it is being used anonymously. You can opt out from Google Analytics here: Opt Out.

We livestream and record our public meetings. This is in the public interest to have transparent and accessible decision-making at public meetings.

You can watch the meetings live or view old meetings on our YouTube Channel.

Most of the filming will cover elected members as they speak and debate at the meeting, however, the filming may also include shots of the public in the background and of anyone speaking at a public forum.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is used in particular areas to monitor traffic movements, secure Council facilities such as libraries and recreation centres, monitor public places in order to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, and to promote community safety.

Signage indicates where CCTV equipment is operating. CCTV footage will only be viewed by authorised staff and representatives from public law enforcement agencies (e.g. the NZ Police) in accordance with the purpose noted above, or when checking that the system is operational. No attempt will be made to identify individuals from CCTV footage except in cases of reported or suspected incidents requiring investigation.

Animal management staff wear body cameras. These are activated as required as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour towards our staff and to provide a clear record of events if an altercation occurs. Recordings of violent or threatening incidents will be forwarded to the New Zealand Police