Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how Visit Gympie Region (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information when you visit our website or use our services. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in accordance with the Queensland Privacy Principles (QPPs) under the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld), as amended by the Information Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2023 (IPOLA).
2. Information We Collect
Where lawful and practicable, you may interact with us anonymously or using a pseudonym. If we receive unsolicited personal information, we will assess whether it is necessary for our functions. If not, we will securely delete or de-identify it.
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
– Newsletter Subscriptions: Email address, name, and any preferences you specify
– Contact Forms: Name, email address, phone number, and any messages or enquiries you submit
– Feedback and Reviews: Any comments, reviews, or feedback you provide about attractions or services
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
– Website Usage: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring websites
– Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience
– Location Data: General location information based on your IP address to provide relevant regional content
2.3 Information from Third Parties
– Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW): We may receive publicly available tourism information, listings, and attraction details through our API connection with ATDW
– Social Media: If you interact with us on social media platforms, we may receive information according to those platforms’ privacy policies
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information for the following purposes:
– Newsletter Communications: To send you tourism updates, events, and promotional content related to the Gympie Region
– Website Functionality: To provide and improve our website services and user experience
– Enquiry Responses: To respond to your questions, feedback, and requests for information
– Tourism Promotion: To promote attractions, events, and services in the Gympie Region
– Analytics: To understand how visitors use our website and improve our content and services
– Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations
4. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We may share your information in the following circumstances:
4.1 Service Providers
We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us with:
– Email marketing and newsletter services
– Website hosting and maintenance
– Analytics and website optimisation
– Customer support services
4.2 Tourism Partners
– ATDW Integration: Information may be shared with the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse for tourism industry purposes
– Local Tourism Operators: We may share aggregated, non-personal information with local tourism businesses to help promote the region
4.3 Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of others. Reasonable steps are taken to ensure overseas recipients comply with the QPPs.
5. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. As per our Data Breach Response Plan, we will notify an affected individuals and the Information Commissioner in accordance with the Mandatory Notification of Data Beach scheme, commencing 1 July 2026.
6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:
– Remember your preferences and settings
– Analyse website traffic and usage patterns
– Provide personalised content and advertisements
– Integrate with social media platforms
You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect website functionality.
7. Third-Party Links and Services
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including tourism operators, accommodation providers, and attraction websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
8. Newsletter and Marketing Communications
8.1 Subscription
When you subscribe to our newsletter, we will use your email address to send you:
– Tourism updates and news about the Gympie Region
– Information about events, attractions, and activities
– Promotional content from local tourism operators
8.2 Unsubscribing
You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time by:
– Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any email
– Contacting us directly using the details provided below
– Managing your preferences through our website (if applicable)
9. Your Rights and Choices
Under Australian privacy law, you have the right to:
– Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you
– Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
– Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances
– Restriction: Request that we limit how we use your information
– Portability: Request a copy of your information in a portable format
– Object: Object to certain uses of your information
– Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details provided below. We will respond to privacy complaints within 45 business days. If unresolved, you may escalate your complaint to the Office of the Information Commissioner Queensland..
Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us:
Visit Gympie Region
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1800 444 222
Address: Gympie Regional Council, PO Box 155, Gympie QLD 4570
For privacy-related complaints that cannot be resolved directly with us, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: [email protected]
10. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Newsletter subscriber information is retained until you unsubscribe or we cease operations.
11. International Data Transfers
Some of our service providers may be located outside Australia. When we transfer your information internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with Australian privacy laws. We take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas service providers do not breach the Queensland Privacy Principles in relation to your personal information..
12. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not directed to individuals under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will take steps to delete it promptly.
13. Cookies
If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.
If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.
14. Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Embedded content from third-party websites is subject to the privacy policies of those external providers. Visit Gympie Region does not control how third parties collect or use your information. We encourage users to review the privacy policies of any external sites they interact with.
15. How long we retain your data
We retain personal information in accordance with our legal obligations under the Public Records Act 2002 (Qld) and the Queensland Privacy Principles. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the information and the purpose for which it was collected.
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.
For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
16. What rights you have over your data
You have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and operational requirements. We will respond to privacy-related requests and complaints within 45 business days, in accordance with the Queensland Privacy Principles.
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
17. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will post the updated policy on our website and indicate the effective date of the changes. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Where changes materially affect your privacy rights or how we handle your personal information, we will take reasonable steps to notify you.