Privacy Policy

Western Bay of Plenty District Council is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected.

Council’s Privacy Policy governs the collection, use and disclosure of your personal data by us in connection with this website. It has been prepared in accordance with our obligations and your rights set out in the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

Council reserves the right to modify or amend this policy at any time and for any reason. By using this website, you consent to Council's use of your personal data in accordance with this Privacy Policy (as amended from time to time).

What kind of personal data we collect

Council collects only the personal data you provide us (including your name, email address, and contact telephone numbers). Council may also keep a record of any information that you acquire from us.

For consultation purposes, Council collects personal data that is relevant to its business and the decisions it needs to make.

Where we collect personal data from

Council collects personal data from the following sources:

When you contact us whether in person, by letter, phone, text, email, instant messages or other means of electronic communication about information on the District, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Council services or anything on this website. For example, when you:
Register and request Council to supply you with information or services in connection with this website
Conduct transactions through the website
Indirectly through your use of this website and the services and functionality offered through it
Apply for employment with us
Complete and submit forms we provide for applications for consents, 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 our online payment services
Submit a written submission, request or other feedback in relation to applications for consents, licences, approvals, permits, funding or other authorisations, or in relation to any form of draft or proposed plan, policy, bylaw or other document
Subscribe to any of our newsletter or update services; or
Follow or post comments in response to our social media or other facilities such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Social media

From time to time Western Bay of Plenty District Council will reach out to social media users to seek their permission to feature our favourite content on our social media platforms, promotional materials and website(s) - known as User Generated Content (UGC).

Users are welcome to submit their content too through email and private messages to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council official social media profiles. If you choose to allow us to use your content by replying with the hashtag #YesWBOPDC or #YesWesternBay, you agree to these Terms of Use.

We will always credit you by your chosen social media handle with the content.
We will sometimes need to crop or edit the image to be used within our platforms.
Although we may ask to use your content, we may not use it.
Content covers all media content types such as photos, videos and music.
We may use your content in various ways, such as Instagram Reels and Guides however you will be credited on the post.
If your content includes any people or businesses, we assume that those people or businesses have consented on your behalf.
Council uses UGC to promote the Western Bay of Plenty District such as recreation within the District and other Council related campaigns and activities such as promoting recycling.
Council is not affiliated with any UGC content creators attributes other than a visitor or ratepayer to the District.
Council has the right to reject content without any explanation.
If you have changed your mind about sharing the content and no longer wish to have your content featured on Council’s website or social media, please contact us via email to have your content removed.

CCTV

"Closed Circuit Television" (CCTV) capturing both sound and footage, is used in particular areas to monitor Central Business District areas and for traffic management purposes, to secure facilities such as Council offices, libraries, and 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 within the District. 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, or in relation to any legal proceedings.

Drones

Council may use drones in connection with our work and delivery of services. This may include conducting condition assessments of our assets, undertaking surveys of our property and capturing other property work under development. If we fly over private property for the purpose of survey works, we do so only with the relevant land owner's consent. We do not use any footage of privately-owned properties without this consent.

If any drone footage identifies an individual, privacy enhancing technology is used to distort that individual's identity.

Our use of drones is conducted in accordance with Civil Aviation Authority's rules and guidance, and data is processed in accordance with the Council's Surveillance Camera Management Policy.

How we use your personal data

Council uses your personal data for the following purposes:

Replying to your queries
Processing your application for registration for use of Council services or to gain access to information on this website made available only to registered users
Providing you with information about the District, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Council services
Providing you with services
Complying with relevant legislation and regulations
Any specific purpose which Council notifies you of at the time personal data is collected
Processing transactions that you may conduct through the website

Council may disclose information about you (including your identity) to a third party if the Council is requested to do so in the course of a criminal or other legal investigation, or if the Council determines that disclosure is necessary in connection with any complaint regarding your use of this website.

How we store personal data

Council stores personal data electronically and in paper form. The personal data is kept safe and secure using generally accepted standards of security.

How you can access/amend your personal data

You may access your personal data that Council holds by emailing us at Customer.Service@westernbay.govt.nz. We will provide you with a copy of the personal data Council keeps about you.

You may request that the personal data Council holds about you be corrected by emailing us at Customer.Service@westernbay.govt.nz. If Council agrees that your personal data is to be corrected, we will provide you with an amended record.

How long we hold personal data

Council will keep your personal data (on both our active systems and our archive systems) only for as long as necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was collected, in accordance with the Council's Records Management Policy and relevant legislation.

The Public Records Act 2005 requires Council 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 or long-term plans, and district planning instruments.

Website use of cookies

When we provide services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. Where services are delivered on the internet, this sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on your device (for example, your computer or mobile phone). These small files are known as cookies. They cannot be used to identify you personally. These pieces of information are used to improve services for you.

There are two types of cookie you may encounter when using this site:

First party cookies: these are our own cookies, controlled by us and used to provide information about usage of our site.

Third party cookies: these are cookies found in other companies' internet tools which we are using to enhance our site.

Some third-party tools used on this website, such as Google Maps, may set additional cookies. Council has no control over cookies set by third parties and assumes no responsibility for them.

How to request deletion of user data through cookies

You may refuse the use of cookies and delete any cookies that are already stored on your computer by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our site. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you visit our site.

Instructions on how to delete and refuse cookies for various web browsers are available at allaboutcookies.org. This is not part of our website, and Council is not responsible for its content.

Who you can contact for further information

If you have any queries about this Privacy Policy or personal data Council has collected, please contact us on 07 571 8008 (24/7) or email Customer.Service@westernbay.govt.nz