Online privacy policy

Anonymous access to our site

You can use the Merri-bek City Council website and browse our website anonymously, without disclosing personal information.

Collection and use of personal data

Moreland City Council website does not retrieve or record any personal information, except for the information that you give freely:

in responding to online forms put on our website occasionally
to contact us for payments, customer requests, booking requests, certificates, animal registrations and application enquiries using our eServices website
to give us feedback on our website on our Contact us pages

If you do give this information we only use it for the purpose stated. We do not use this data for direct marketing unless you give us permission to do so.

Council staff and contractors that use your personal information collected in this website must protect and handle your personal information in accordance with the privacy principles in the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (DOC 520Kb) and the Council Information Privacy Policy (DOC 105Kb).

Collection and use of site visit data

The Council website and Active Merri-bek website use cookies. If you have your cookies disabled in your browser, you will still be able to access our websites.

Council's websites also use cookies through Google Analytics tracking. Google Analytics uses cookies to report on visits to our websites. It does not collect identifying data such as your name.

The online library catalogue uses cookies to remember your username and make the login process quicker the next time you visit the site. The cookie does not record your login password.

A cookie accesses information that is shared between a web server and a user's browser. Cookies give the server information about a user's identity and website visiting patterns and preferences.

We also share information about your use of our site with Facebook using tracking pixels. We share the tracking pixel data with Facebook and they use the information collected from the page to optimise the advertising you see when using the platform. You can opt-out of any Facebook tracking activity by adjusting your advertising settings. More information about adjusting your advertising settings is available on Facebook.

We use Hotjar in order to better understand our users’ needs and to optimise this service and experience. Hotjar is a technology service that helps us better understand our users’ experience (e.g. how much time they spend on which pages, which links they choose to click, what users do and don’t like, and more). This program enables us to build and maintain our service with user feedback.

Hotjar uses cookies and other technologies to collect data on our users’ behavior and their devices. This includes a device's IP address (processed during your session and stored in a de-identified form), device screen size, device type (unique device identifiers), browser information, geographic location (country only), and the preferred language used to display our website. Hotjar stores this information on our behalf in a pseudonymized user profile. Hotjar is contractually forbidden to sell any of the data collected on our behalf. Further details about Hotjar are available on the Hotjar website.

What we record

For statistical and system administration reasons, Council's Google Analytics tool automatically records this non-personal information:

the Internet Protocol (IP) number (the IP number is assigned to your computer when you use the internet)
the domain name of the account you use to access the internet (eg. 'your-university.edu.au' or 'your-department.gov.au')
the date and time of your visit to the site
the pages you accessed and downloaded
the address of the last site you visited, and
the type of browser you are using, for example, Firefox or Internet Explorer.

This information will only be used to update and improve our website. To the extent that this data could make you identifiable, Council will not attempt to identify individuals from the records the server automatically generates unless that is necessary to investigate a breach of law or regulation.

Disclosure of information

We will not disclose your personal information to a third party without your consent unless we are required or authorised to do so by law or other regulations. In the unlikely event of an investigation into suspected unlawful or improper activity, a law enforcement agency or government agency may exercise its legal authority to inspect the web server's records (for example, in relation to hacking or abusive messages).

Security of your personal data

The protection of personal privacy is a priority of every person at Merri-bek City Council.

This website does not provide facilities that guarantee secure transmission of information over the internet. You should be aware, however, that there are risks in transmitting information across the internet. If you are concerned about conveying sensitive or personal material to Council over the internet, you might prefer to contact us by telephone or post.

By using our eServices website (eservices.moreland.vic.gov.au) you are authorising Merri-bek City Council to collect information about you and about the transactions that you process through Merri-bek City Council's Online Services.

Council collects information when you register with Council Online Services or submit a form through the website.

Moreland City Council may disclose information about you (including your identity) to a third party, if Merri-bek City Council is required to do so due to the processing of a criminal or other legal investigation, or if Merri-bek City Council determines that this disclosure is required to assist in the progressing of a complaint regarding your use of the site.
Council used to have a separate Business Merri-bek website (www.moreland.vic.gov.au/business-home) that provided information to new and existing businesses. This website is no longer updated and has been replaced by a section of our Merri-bek City Council website that is accessible through our Business page.

Council collects information when you subscribe to the Business Merri-bek eNewsletter through the site or submit a message using an online form. You can sign up for this newsletter on our How can we help you? page.
Moreland City Council collects information from organisations and individuals during the planning scheme amendment process through submissions made to an Amendment. Submissions may be hand written, electronic (both written and audio-visual) and often contain images, maps and plans. Submissions frequently contain personal information which at times may be sensitive for commercial, health or other reasons.

Natural justice and transparency are important parts of the Planning Scheme Amendment process. Under section 21(2) of the 'Planning and Environment Act 1987' (Vic), Council must make all submissions to an Amendment available to view by any person at its offices for a period of two months after the Amendment is gazetted or lapses. This includes all personal names, telephone and address details. Submissions may also be emailed or posted to interested parties during the Planning Scheme amendment process.

Submissions are used by Council when assessing the Amendment and summaries of your submission are included in any Council report that considers the Amendment following the close of exhibition. Your submission will also be used and disclosed in the public process of a Panel Hearing if one is required. Any submission forwarded to Planning Panels Victoria will be managed within accordance with their privacy policy.

Publication of Submissions on Council’s Website

Council will make all submissions available to view online on its website during the Planning Scheme Amendment process. All submissions made available online will be redacted to remove personal names, telephone, and address details (with the exception of a property address that is the subject of the Amendment). Submissions will be removed from the website once the Amendment is finalised.

Use of your personal information

In accordance with the 'Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014' (Vic) and 'Health Records Act 2001' (Vic) the personal information submitted by you is being collected by Merri-bek City Council for the submission process and it will not be disclosed to any other external party without your consent, except as a requirement of the 'Planning and Environment Act 1987' (Vic). This includes disclosing your personal information upon request (name and phone number only) to any person during the Planning Scheme Amendment process.

If you do not provide your name and address Council will not be able to consider your submission.

You can gain access to the personal information you have provided to Merri-bek City Council and if you wish to alter it, please contact Council’s Privacy Officer by emailing us at Privacyofficer@moreland.vic.gov.au or call on 9384 9111.
Council has a My Virtual Merri-bek app for Android and iOS that displays currently advertised planning applications, information, and 3D models to the user. You can find out more about this app on our Virtual Merri-bek page.

Council may collect basic default analytical data (such as device make and model) through the Google Play store and Apple app store when you download the app to your device.
Council has an Active Merri-bek website (www.activemoreland.com.au) that provides information on Council aquatic and leisure centres, as well as recreational and leisure opportunities. You can see this on the Active Merri-bek website.

Council collects information when you subscribe to an eNewsletter through the site or submit a message using an online form.
Council uses the Infoxchange Service Seeker website to list community organisations and groups. You can see this on the Infoxchange Service Seeker website.

Council collects contact details and other information about community groups and organisations. This information is included in the Infoxchange Service Seeker website when permission is explicitly granted by the organisation or group. Contact details that are requested to be kept confidential are not made available on the online directory.
The Zero Carbon Merri-bek website (morelandzerocarbon.org.au) provides information to the community on how to reduce their carbon emissions across the municipality.

Information is collected when you subscribe to the Eco e-News through the site or submit a message using an online form. This site also uses cookies and Google Analytics to monitor site traffic.

Links to other websites

Moreland Council websites have links to external websites. Websites that you click on from Council's website may have different privacy policies and practices. Council suggests you read a website's privacy policy before you share information.

Your right to see and correct personal records

You can ask us what personal information we keep about you as a result of visiting our website.

Write to Merri-bek City Council's Privacy Officer, Locked Bag 10, Merri-bek Vic. 3058, phone 9240 2545 or submit a request on our eServices website.

You can ask for a copy of the personal data held by Council. You can ask us to correct, complete and change the information we hold about you.

Use of cameras by enforcement staff

Moreland Council enforcement staff utilise body-worn cameras in their day-to-day duties. These are worn in order to ensure an accurate representation of any incidents as well as for the protection of staff.

You may be recorded if you interact with these staff. Recordings are used for incident verification purposes as well as for staff professional development.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1982

The 'Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1982' gives the community a legal right to access certain Council documents. Merri-bek City Council is subject to the Freedom of Information Act and we respond to requests directly related to this law. More information about this is available on our Freedom of information page.

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