2. Privacy Legislation

Privacy legislation was introduced to protect the interests of individuals by ensuring their personal information held by organisations is not handled inappropriately.

The information to which the APPs, and this policy, apply is personal information. Personal information means information or an opinion that can identify you as an individual, or from which your identity can reasonably be identified. Information or an opinion may be personal information regardless of whether it is true.

The Privacy Policy applies to the collection, storage, use and disclosure by us of your personal information. We may collect your personal information to provide you with our products and services, which include managing and administering activities related to the trading of wool in Australia.

By accessing this site www.awex.com.au (Website) you accept the terms of this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy applies to information provided to us whether via this Website or any other means and demonstrates how we will comply with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act.

If you have any further questions or if you wish to receive more information on our information practices and Privacy Policy, please contact our Privacy Officer at privacyofficer@awex.com.au.  

3. Privacy Statement

The privacy of our members and customers is of the utmost importance to us and this extends to include information or opinions about members and customers that we collect and record and which could be used to reasonably identify them. We strictly adhere to the APPs and the Privacy Act.

This Statement summarises how we manage personal information.

Type of Information AWEX Collects

The types of personal information we collect will generally depend on the services we provide but may include name, address, date of birth, telephone numbers and unique AWEX registration numbers.

For the avoidance of doubt, we will not collect or disclose sensitive information as defined under the Privacy Act, revealing your: race, ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union memberships or details of health or disability unless an exception applies.

Exceptions to this include:

• where you have given express consent to us to do so, and the information is reasonably necessary for us to carry out our functions or activities.
• the use of this information is required or authorised under Australian law or a court or tribunal order; or
• when the information is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defence of a legal claim.

Use and Disclosure of Information

Generally, we collect and use personal information about members and customers for the primary purpose of providing you with our services and for which you would reasonably expect us to use that information, including for establishing your AWEX membership, sending you information about new developments, products, services and special offers by post, telephone or any form of electronic communication. We may use any email address or other personal information you provide to us at any time for this purpose.

We will not disclose information that personally identifies you to any third party other than as set out in this Privacy Policy. However, in some instances we may be required to disclose information to outside contractors who carry out specialist services on AWEX's behalf (for example, mailing houses and other services that you would reasonably expect us to provide to you that requires third party involvement).

To protect the privacy of our members and customers, we impose strict requirements of security and confidentiality on all third parties as to how they handle your personal information. We take reasonable steps to ensure that these organisations are bound by privacy obligations in relation to the protection of your personal information. For example, e.g., outside contractors are not allowed to use personal information about you for any purpose except to perform the services we have asked them to provide.

In the event of a security incident involving unauthorised access, use or disclosure of personal information where a third party with whom we share personal information is involved, we will seek to work cooperatively with them to protect the personal information we have shared with them.

How AWEX Collects Information

Generally, we will collect information directly from you, for example, upon application for membership, registration, or access to AWEX systems, e.g., when you access our WoolClip website and mobile application to capture on-farm wool harvesting data.

From time-to-time you will receive written requests from AWEX to confirm the information we hold in our database relating to you and the services we provide. We may also collect and update information over the phone or over the Internet to market and advertise to you and comply with our legal obligations. It is also collected to allow the functions and services offered on the website to be provided to you. All personal information that we collect, is reasonably necessary for the purposes relating to providing our services to you.

Occasionally AWEX may also collect information about you through third parties such as:

• brokers
• private treaty merchants.
• industry bodies.
• educational Institutions (e.g., if you are a Wool Classer and have recently graduated).
• payment providers.
• website hosts.
• cloud service providers.
• your representatives; and
• publicly available sources of information.

We may also collect personal information automatically through your use of our website such as technical data (your IP address, browsing history, web log information) and location information. (including how you came to the website from your device). This may take place in several ways by using a range of tools such as Google Analytics.

If someone other than you provides us with personal information about you that we did not ask for and we determine that we could have collected this information from you had we asked for it, we will notify you, as soon as practicable. This notice will be given unless to do so would be in breach of an obligation of confidence. If we could not have collected this personal information, we will lawfully de identify or destroy that personal information.

We will not collect personal information unless the information is reasonably necessary for or directly related to one, or more of our functions or activities. If we are unable to collect personal information we reasonably require, we may not be able to do business with you or the organisation with which you are connected.

How AWEX Stores Information

We will use all reasonable endeavours to keep your personal information in a secure environment, however, this security cannot be guaranteed.

We store information in a combination of a secure database and paper-based files. We implement strong cyber security measures which include e.g., firewalls, multi-factor authentication, password access and encryption software. These security measures are designed to ensure your personal information is not subject to unauthorised access, loss or misuse. If you reasonably believe that there has been unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal information, please contact us (see below).

If we no longer need your personal information, unless we are required under Australian law or a court or tribunal order to retain it, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify your personal information, in accordance with our document and information retention policy.

Notwithstanding the reasonable steps taken to keep information secure, breaches may occur. In the event of a security incident, we have in place procedures to promptly investigate the incident and determine if there has been a data breach involving personal information, and if so, to assess if it is a breach that would require notification. If it is, we will notify affected parties in accordance with Privacy Act requirements.

Use of Cookies

When you visit the website, the server may attach a "cookie" to your computer's memory. A “cookie” assists us to store information on how visitors to the website use it and the pages that may be of most interest. This information may be used to provide users of your computer with information that we think may interest the users of your computer. However, this information is not linked to any personal information you may provide and cannot be used to identify you. If you choose, you should be able to configure your computer so that it disables “cookies” or does not accept them.

Direct Marketing

We may use personal information about you for the primary purpose of providing you with our services, and for other purposes for which you would reasonably expect us to use that information. This includes sending you information about new developments, products, services and special offers by post, telephone, or any form of electronic communication. You authorise us to use any email address or other contact information you provide to us at any time for this purpose.

You can, at any time, opt out of receiving marketing material by contacting Us. You agree and acknowledge that even if you opt out of receiving marketing material, we will still send you essential information that we are legally required to send you relating to the services we provide. Once you opt out of receiving marketing material from us, you agree and acknowledge that this removal from our distribution lists may take several business days after the date of you request to be removed.

Accuracy of your information

We take all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, relevant, complete, up-to-date and not misleading. If you believe that any of your personal information is not accurate, up-to-date, complete, relevant and not misleading, please contact us (see below) and we will take all reasonable steps to correct it within a reasonable time.

Third Parties and your information

We will only collect, store, use or disclose personal information as set out in this Privacy Policy unless we are required by law to protect our rights or property (or those of any third party), or to avoid injury to any person.

Although the website may link directly to websites operated by third parties (Linked Websites), you acknowledge that Linked Websites are not operated by us. We encourage you to always read the applicable privacy Policy of any Linked Website on entering the Linked Website. We are not responsible for the content or practices of the Linked Websites nor their privacy policies regarding the collection, storage, use and disclosure of your personal information.

Disclosure of Information Overseas

We may transfer to people in foreign countries any of your personal information to fulfil the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, [for example to enable our technology developers to build and test systems for AWEX.

In many cases the transfer will be necessary for the performance of our contract with you or for the implementation of measures taken in response to a request by you or for the performance of a contract with a third party which is concluded in your interests.

Your consent

By your use of the Website you consent to the collection, storage, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and as otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act.

Access to Information

Following a written request to do so, we will provide you with a copy of any personal information we hold about you in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act.

We may charge a reasonable fee for retrieving this information, which we will inform you of in advance of providing the information.

We undertake to promptly acknowledge and investigate any complaint or concern about the way we manage personal information under the APPs.

Variation and consent to variation

We may vary the terms of this Privacy Policy at any time. You should check this Privacy Policy regularly so that you are aware of any variations made to this Privacy Policy. You will be deemed to have consented to such variations by your continued use of the Website following such changes being made.

If you have any questions about AWEX's Privacy Policy or information handling practices or if you wish to update information, we hold about you or to make a complaint, please contact:

Privacy Officer, Australian Wool Exchange Limited (ACN 061 495 565)
PO Box 651 North Ryde BC NSW 2113,
Unit 12A, 2 Eden Park Drive
Macquarie Park NSW 2113

or send an email to us at

privacyofficer@awex.com.au

or contacting us by phone at (02) 9428 6100

If you are dissatisfied with our response to your complaint, you can lodge a complaint with the Australian Information Commissioner here.

Wherever practicable we will provide you the option of interacting with us anonymously or by using a pseudonym. However, this will not apply if it is impracticable for us to communicate with you that way or we are required or authorised under Australian law (or a court or tribunal order) to only deal with individuals who have identified themselves.