Your privacy online

The City of Sydney takes great care with practices that affect personal privacy.

Accountability

The employees who maintain and operate the City website are subject to the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and the City’s privacy management plan.

Protecting your privacy when you access our online services

Why we’re collecting your details

The City of Sydney provides a wide range of services that you can access online from rates and parking permits to our What’s On events guide and exploring our parks, pools and libraries.

We may need to collect your personal information to assist you when you access our services online, and to provide further information so that we can deliver a service.

The supply of this information is voluntary. If you do not provide this information, we may be unable to provide access to City of Sydney services.

Using your information

The City of Sydney will use your personal information for the purpose for which it was collected and may also use it as is necessary for the exercise of other functions, such as updating our customer records or letting you know about other City of Sydney services. We may also share your personal information within other divisions of the City of Sydney and authorised outsourced service providers to expedite the provision of services to you.

Receiving and storing your information

City of Sydney employees are the intended recipients of this information. The City of Sydney, 456 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000 collects this information and will store it securely.

Please contact Customer Service on 02 9265 9333 or at [email protected] to access or update your personal information.

For more details on how we manage personal information, please see our privacy management plan.

Protecting your privacy when you sign up for a City of Sydney enewsletter

Why we’re collecting your details

The City of Sydney is collecting your personal information so we can email you newsletters on the topics you have selected.

Supplying this information is voluntary. If you do not provide this information, we may not be able to send you these newsletters.

We may also use this information to send you content on related City of Sydney topics, services or events.

Receiving and storing your details

City of Sydney employees are the intended recipients of this information. The City of Sydney, 456 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000 collects this information and will store it securely.

How to access or update your details

Please contact Customer Service on 02 9265 9333 or at [email protected] to access or update your personal information.

For more details on how we manage personal information, please see our privacy management plan.

Websites

Data collected by the City

Data that in some way identifies the user is gathered during interactions with City websites in the following circumstances:

Computer information

It is a necessary part of visiting any website that your web browser provides your machine’s identity (IP address) to the web server so it can address the reply to the correct machine. In addition, the browser type and operating system are provided.

Navigation and clickstream data

Browsing any website generates a trail of the pages you visit and the time apparently spent displaying each page.

User feedback

We seek feedback from our website users to improve the services provided on the site. Providing feedback is voluntary and does not in any way affect your access to the City website.

Polls and surveys

See the privacy protection notice on each poll or survey to find out more about how we will manage personal information in each case.

Subscription details and service requests

Personal information you provide when you register or request services online will only be used for the purpose indicated for that particular service or as is reasonably necessary for the exercise of other lawful and proper City functions.

Cookies

We manage some aspects of your connection to this website using a facility called a cookie, which identifies and recognises the computer but not the person using the computer, when you visit some parts of our websites.

Cookies are inactive pieces of information that a website transfers to an individual’s hard drive for keeping records to make it easier to use our site by storing details about your preferences. Cookies cannot be shared with other websites. The use of cookies is an industry standard and you’ll find that most major websites use them.

Most internet browsers automatically accept cookies. If you prefer not to receive cookies, you can adjust your browser to disable cookies or to warn you when cookies are being used. 

Online advertising 

The City uses remarketing services (sometimes called interest-based advertising) to show ads on sites across the internet to previous visitors to our websites. These services allow us to tailor our advertising and marketing content so that it is relevant and suits your needs. This is done using browser cookies, pixels and related technologies that identify whether the computer or mobile device you are using has previously interacted with particular web pages, web services or advertisements. Only non-personal information is collected.

The City uses demand side technology that accesses a number of ad exchanges and publishers as well as Google, Facebook, Outbrain and Taboola to collect this information on our behalf. You can opt-out of your non-personal information being collected by going to aboutads.info/choices/  selecting ‘DataXu’, ‘Facebook’, ‘Google’ and ‘Outbrain’.

Data storage, use, disclosure and retention

All data described in the preceding paragraphs may be stored and archived for a period that is yet to be determined but is likely to be at least 1 year and quite probably 7 years. Unless stated otherwise, the data is used by the City and employees involved with maintaining and operating the City website for:

• website and system administration, including monitoring to prevent security breaches
• customising the website to meet user needs
• evaluation, research and development.

Identified data can only be disclosed to the user if the user provides the unique request session number. Personally identified data may be disclosed to a third party only in circumstances where such disclosure is legally authorised, such as in the investigation of a criminal offence in compliance with a search warrant or subpoena.

Users under the age of 16 years

If you’re under 16, you need your parent or guardian’s permission to share your personal information with the City of Sydney through our website.

Contacts

If you believe that we have not followed the principles of this privacy statement or would like to comment, please contact City of Sydney on 02 9265 9333 or email [email protected].