Privacy Statement
Application of this privacy statement
Southern Rural Water (SRW) is committed to protecting your privacy.
This privacy statement applies to your access and use of WaterBid.
Further, when we refer to the 'WaterBid' we mean the auction platform available at waterbid.srw.com.au and operated by SRW.
WaterBid contains links to other external websites. This privacy statement does not apply to those websites.
For more information about our broader privacy practices, please visit our Privacy Policy.
We update this privacy statement from time to time. Please check the version date each time you visit this page.
What we collect
We collect two kinds of information, website statistics using web analytics technologies, and other information provided by users, including personal information.
Website statistics may be collected from your use of WaterBid, and this data may include your IP address, the date and time stamp of your visit, data about your interaction with WaterBid, as well as data collected from our use of cookies and similar technologies.
Personal information may be collected directly from you from your interaction with us through our online forms, registration information and feedback on WaterBid. This information may include your name, date of birth, postal address, email address, job title and telephone number.
In some cases, we may collect your information indirectly. This may occur if another person includes your information when completing our online forms.
We do not ordinarily ask you to provide sensitive information or health information, but we may collect it if you include it in your feedback on our online forms.
The terms 'personal information' and 'health information' are explained in our Privacy Policy.
Why we collect your information
Website statistics
We may collect website statistics for statistical analysis and reporting so that we understand general user trends at an aggregate level. This assists us in improving our content and your user experience.
We may also collect website statistics for website or system administrative purposes, including to protect against cybersecurity threats.
This information, if collected, is not used to identify you or to match your identity with any other personal information we collect from you, unless we are required to do so as part of an internal investigation of suspected unlawful activity or for law enforcement-related purposes.
For more information about this and how to disable cookies, see the sections below on Cookies and similar technologies.
Other information
We may also collect other information that we ask you to provide or that you choose to give us when you interact with us on WaterBid.
We collect your information so that we can:
- facilitate the efficient auction of water rights on WaterBid, including settling payment details at the closure of auctions;
- investigate and respond to enquiries, requests, applications or complaints;
- comply with reporting and other legislative requirements under the Water Act 1989 and other Commonwealth and Victorian laws;
- monitor, implement and manage our functions effectively, efficiently and economically,
- and for any other purposes which we notify you of at the time of collection.
Who we share your information with
Your personal information and (if collected) health information may be used by and disclosed to employees and contractors who are required to use it in the course of performing their duties.
Among other things, our contractors deliver services and SRW communications to the community on our behalf (including on social media). We also engage IT service providers who provide or manage our stakeholder relationship management databases, email campaigns and e-newsletter services, or they otherwise assist us to carry out our functions.
Your information may also be shared with other Victorian Government departments, authorities or agencies, Ministers and other authorised third parties who need the information in order to perform their job roles or statutory functions, to provide assistance to you, for reporting and statistical purposes, or where permitted by law.
Cookies and similar technologies
SRW may use service providers, such as Google Analytics, to help us improve your experience on WaterBid. These service providers may use cookies, web beacons and similar technologies to collect or receive information on WaterBid, and in some cases, from other internet websites, to provide website usage measurement.
Our service providers may also transfer the website data they collect to third parties where required to do so by law, or where the third parties process the information on their behalf.
For more details, please visit the Google Safety Centre.
Disabling cookies or opting out of online ads
You can refuse all cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser and/or deleting all the cookies on your computer. However, this may affect the functionality of WaterBid.
You can also use the opt-out services provided by Google.
Access and contact details
If you have any questions about this statement or wish to request access to your information, please contact us by email at privacy@srw.com.au.
Version date
This privacy statement was last updated on 31 March 2021.