Privacy, copyright, disclaimer information

Privacy information

Toowoomba Regional Council knows that you care how information about you is used and shared, and we appreciate your trust that we will do so carefully and sensibly. Toowoomba Regional Council is committed to protecting your privacy. This notice describes our privacy policy.

By visiting Toowoomba Regional Council Online, you are accepting the practices described in this Website Privacy & Security Statement.

What personal information about customers does Toowoomba Regional Council gather?

The information we learn from you helps us continually improve your experience whilst visiting our site. If any aspects of our privacy policy change, we will post changes here on this page so that you are always aware of what information we collect, and how we use it.

Information you give us

We receive and store information you enter on our website or give us in any other way. You can choose not to provide us with certain information; however by doing this you might not be able to take advantage of many of the features of our site.

We use the information that you provide us for such purposes as responding to your requests, improving both the content and functionality of our site, and most importantly, communicating with you.

Automatic information

We receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with us. For example, like many websites, we use "cookies," and we obtain certain types of information when your Internet browser accesses the various areas of Toowoomba Regional Council Online. A cookie is a small tag of information stored by your Internet browser on your computer. Most Internet browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can customise your browser not to accept cookies without first notifying you.

Does Toowoomba Regional Council share the information it receives?

Information about our community is an important part of our business and as such we do not sell, trade or make available your personal information to others. We share information provided by you only with other business units within Toowoomba Regional Council.

How do I know if I am in a secure site?

A "secure" area is recognised by the closed padlock or an unbroken key coming into view in the bottom status bar in your web browser. You can also check to make sure that a valid site certificate is being used. A site certificate is used to validate a site's authority to use SSL and authenticates the website's state of security. This enables you to check the site's validity yourself. You can do this by double clicking on either the closed padlock or the unbroken key.

Conditions of use, notices and revisions

If you choose to visit Toowoomba Regional Council's website, your visit and any dispute over privacy is subject to this notice and our legal Information, including limitations on damages, arbitration of disputes, and application of the law of the state of Queensland.

If you have any concern about privacy whilst visiting Toowoomba Regional Council online, please send a thorough description to Information Management Branch via your local Customer Service Centre and we will try to resolve it. Please check our website frequently to view recent changes.

Complaints about privacy information

If you have a problem, issue or concern about the services, decisions or actions of Council, we would like to hear about it.

Complaints management system

Council is committed to a complaints management process which ensures the effective, transparent and timely resolution of complaints. Your comments provide us with valuable feedback to allow for continuous customer service improvement.

All you have to do is let us know about your complaint and we will direct your concern to the department best able to deal with it.

If you require further information about the complaints management process, please contact council.

Copyright statement

• People with disabilities who may use assistive technologies
• Those with slower internet connections or less than state of the art equipment
• Rural and regional users
• Those with non-PC internet devices including hand held devices and mobile phones.

If you encounter problems with accessing or using a particular page or feature of this website, please send us your feedback.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 compliance

As part of a commitment to accessibility, the Toowoomba Regional Council website has been developed according to the WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Through a combination of automated and manual reviews, pages on this website have been deemed to at a minimum meet the requirements for Double-A Conformance wherever possible.

However, as assessment against some guidelines includes an element of subjectivity, and as this website is constantly evolving and growing, we value your feedback.

Links & keyboard navigation

For screenreaders and other serial browsers, links, forms and text are designed to be accessible with the keyboard (or equivalent pointing/actuating device). You can navigate through a page using the Tab and Enter keys, or those commands you would normally use.

Text size

This website has been designed to allow your Internet browser to determine the size of text throughout the site. You can alter the display size for text using the links from the top right of screen.

Hyperlinks

Where a hyperlink takes you to a location other than a page within this website, the action of the link is communicated through the use of symbols or the phrase "Link opens in new window". Where the hyperlink is to a document, the file type and size is also indicated.

PDF document accessibility

Where possible, information on our websites are provided in content articles within the site - not relying on other file formats (such as PDF). In some cases (such as meeting minutes) these can only be provided online efficiently in Portable Document Format (PDF). For those with specific accessibility requirements, Adobe provides resources to assist in accessing PDF documents. Newer versions of Adobe Reader incorporate a number of accessibility features.

Online forms privacy statement

Collection and purpose

Toowoomba Regional Council (Council) is collecting and storing your personal information and personal information about other individuals on forms you submit in accordance with the Information Privacy Act and Council’s Privacy Policy. This is done for the purposes of processing your request for goods or services provided by ourselves as a Local Government. Where you provide personal information about other individuals, Council relies on you to inform those individuals that you are providing their personal information and to advise them of this statement.

Use of your information

In addition to using your information to assess your application, Council may use your information for a range of different purposes, including using your information to assist Council in improving or developing its goods and services or to perform research and analysis.

Disclosure of your information

Council may disclose your information to organisations it owns, underwrites, supports or has joint ventures with. Council may also disclose your information as required or authorised by law, including to law enforcement and national security agencies and other government and regulatory authorities and to third parties who provide services to it, including organisations and contractors that assist Council with  assessing and awarding community grants. Council may also disclose your information to third parties who assist Council in market research and/or to manage or develop its operational and corporate strategies.