Note: Victorian Mountain Tramping Club Inc. (VMTC) will from here on referred to as the club
Purpose
To ensure that the club and its members who are responsible for handling personal and/or health information, do so in a manner that protects its members’ any any other associated people right to privacy.
To inform both current and future members of the policies and practices of the VMTC in relation to privacy.
Policy
The club is committed to protecting everyone’s right to privacy. The club, in collecting information will comply with all aspects of The Privacy Data and Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).
In particular:
- The club will only collect personal and health information that is required for its activities.
- If disclosure of personal information is required for purposes other than those for which it was collected, agreement will be sought beforehand, unless required or authorised by law enforcement agencies.
- Information will be securely stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.
- Members contact information will be deleted once they leave the club, unless the member approves its continued use.
What Information Does the club Collect?
The club collects a limited range of personal information so that it can efficiently organise and coordinate the club’s functions. The club’s functions include communicating with you about club activities and may also include marketing and promotion material that may be of interest.
The personal information collected by the club, and held about you will vary depending on the circumstances of collection and may include, but is not limited to the items listed below:
- Your name, residential street address, date of birth, gender, your contact telephone number and email address
- The name and phone number of your nominated emergency contact
- A record of which club trips you have participated in
- If you attend general meetings or annual general meetings, the club will request that you write your name and sign to record your attendance
- At the commencement of any club trip, the leader may request that participants provide any health information that could impact on their ability to participate in the trip. This information primarily used in cases when emergency care is required (to pass on to health professionals). This information is not retained by the club.
- The club publishes a monthly newsletter (Trampalong). This publication includes trip reports which include details of the events on club trips. If a member has concerns regarding publication of their name in Trampalong, you can advise the club by indicating how you wish to be referred to in club publications. (See note 1 for details of how to notify)
- Other information provided voluntarily by you, for example in response to surveys or competitions (Note: this does not happen very often).
- The information collected is used to enable the club to communicate with you about club activities and organise trips in a safe manner where the welfare of all members of the group is our primary focus. If you do not wish for the club to collect specific information about you, you need to advise us, and we will discuss with you any consequences this may have.
- The club does sometimes run activities for families and children. If it is deemed that a trip requires background checks, including police checks or working with children checks, for the leader or all adult participants, the club will retain these records for the period they are still valid.
How does the club collect your personal information?
The club collects its information directly from you.
- We will request that you fill out:
– the membership application form,
– the trip attendance & risk waver form (one combined form) - When you submit information via our WEB site to record your intention to participate in a club trip
- When you attend a trip, and a trip report is published in Trampalong
- When you attend a general meeting, we ask that you write your name and sign the attendance sheet
How do we use your personal Information?
The club may only use your personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, and secondary purposes related to the primary purpose. Examples of such primary and secondary purposes, without limitation, are:
- To keep you informed of news and information about club activities (such as notice of upcoming events or programs). This includes distributing newsletters, publications and other communication via various mediums (Usually via email).
- To inform you of other non club activities and events relating to bushwalking and outdoor activities.
- To provide members with a newsletter that contains trip reports, including trips you may have attended.
- In the case of an injury to you, to organise medical treatment including the dispatch an ambulance.
- In addition, the club may use de-identified information to carry out research, to plan events and activities or to prepare submissions to government or a government body. (De-identified information is information which has been aggregated or manipulated so that it no longer can be used to identify you, or any other individual)
To whom does the club disclose your personal information
The club may disclose your personal information to:
– To the club’s insurers,
– To the club’s professional advisers, including accountants, auditors and lawyers
– To the club’s affiliated organisation Bushwalking Victoria and its sub committees.
(Bush Search and Rescue (BSAR) and Bushwalking Tracks and Conservation (BTAC))
In the following circumstances:
- with your express consent;
- when required or authorised by law;
- to an enforcement body or emergency service provider when reasonably necessary; or
- to lessen or prevent a threat to an individual or public health or safety
How can you access your personal information that the club holds?
You have the right to access your personal information. Requests for your information are to be provided in writing (email or letter). If the club does not allow you access to any part of the personal information that the club holds about you, the club will tell you why. The club will not charge you for lodging a request to access your personal information, but the club may charge you for reasonable cost in supplying you with access to your information.
Information Storage and Protection
The club may store your information on both paper and in electronic form. The security of your personal information is important to us.
We have taken the steps outlined below to protect your information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
- All electronic information is protected by password/s to prevent unauthorised access
- Only club members can access your contact information (which is distributed amongst the current club members)
- Committee members who handle club members’ information are not to disclose personal information except in the circumstanced described above.
Complaints and Contacting Us
If you would like to access the personal information we hold about you, or have any questions in relation to this policy or a complaint, please contact:
Via Email: [email protected]
Via the Post: Secretary VMTC, GPO Box 1340, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia
Note 1 :
If any member does not want your their full name published in Trampalong, they should contact the club and indicate how you wish to be referred to. (eg. First name only, or any other pseudonym or alias)
This request should be directed to:
The membership sectary [email protected] and the
Trampalong editor [email protected]
Note that the current Trampalong editor has requested that they be advised for each article how your name should appear.