Developing the National Housing and Homelessness Plan – Privacy Collection Notice – Submissions
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Your personal information is protected by law, including under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act).
The Department of Social Services (Department, we, us, our), collects personal information about individuals for a range of purposes to enable it to carry out its functions. More information about how we handle your personal information is set out in our Privacy Policy.
This privacy collection notice is designed to ensure you are aware of certain matters in relation to the Department’s collection of your personal information, as required by the Privacy Act.
What is the purpose of the collection?
The Department is currently inviting participants to provide their views on the National Housing and Homelessness Plan Issues Paper to assist in the development of the National Housing and Homelessness Plan (the Plan). Participant’s ideas and experience will assist in assessing the issues constraining the current housing system and identify actions needed to address the challenges facing the housing and homelessness sectors.
Participants are invited to submit their views via the DSS Engage platform by either:
- responding to guided short-form questions, and/or;
- lodging a written submission
What is ‘personal information’ and ‘sensitive information’?
Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable.
Sensitive information is a subset of personal information. It includes information or an opinion about your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of associations or unions, sexual orientation or practices, criminal record, or health, genetic or biometric information.
How we collect your personal information
We will collect information from you directly if you choose to answer the short-form questions or provide a written submission.
Your participation is voluntary, and you are under no obligation to participate if you do not wish to.
What personal information we collect
Submissions to this Issues Paper are voluntary. While the Department will not actively seek personal and sensitive information, in responding to this Issues Paper, the following personal information may be disclosed:
- name;
- email address;
- organisation name;
- identity details, relating to gender, age, if you identify as having a disability, ethnicity, geographic and demographic information, housing status, if you have experienced family, domestic or sexual violence or another form of gender-based violence, work sector;
- personal views about the Plan including from those with a lived experience and
- other personal information (including sensitive information) that may be provided by you in your response.
Why we collect your personal information
We will use your personal information and views to inform the development of the Plan.
All views will be considered. Participants are able to complete the short-form questions or lodge a written submission. The Government may choose to publish submissions. If lodging a written submission, you will be asked to specify whether you would like your submission to be published on the department’s website and you will need to specify if you would like your input to be anonymous.
When lodging a submission, your email address will be collected to ensure you receive confirmation of your submission. Your email address will not be collected for any other purpose.
For participants who wish to have their submission’s published, the Department will redact any identifying or sensitive information of the participant, or someone they know prior to publication.
Who we disclose your personal information to
We may disclose your personal information to the following people, organisations or third parties:
- entities contracted to provide services to assist us with the development of the Plan, where required (which may include entities contracted to the Department to provide information technology, accessibility, analysis and editing services);
- individuals within agencies, organisations and bodies that will be working with the Department on the development of the Plan, including Ministers and their staff, state and territory governments, and advisory groups to the Australian Government;
- individuals within agencies, organisations and bodies who are working on housing policy matters; and
- other parties where the disclosure is authorised by law.
All entities contracted by us are subject to strict confidentiality, privacy and security obligations. We will not disclose any of your information overseas.
Storage of your personal information
Storage of personal information (and the disposal of information when no longer required) is managed in accordance with the Australian Government records management regime, including the Archives Act 1983, agency-specific records authorities and general records authorities. This ensures your personal information is held securely by the Department.
More information
The Department’s Privacy Policy contains more information about how we handle personal information, how you can access any personal information that we hold, and how to seek correction of that personal information. It also contains information about how to make a complaint about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, as set out in the Privacy Act.
If you have any concerns or questions, you can contact us at complaints@dss.gov.au.
Confirmation and consent
By providing your personal information (including sensitive information) through the National Housing and Homelessness Plan Issues Paper short-form questions or submissions, you consent to the Department collecting your personal information and handling your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Collection Notice.