Privacy Policy

Australian Political Studies Association Limited (APSA) is a not-for-profit membership organisation incorporated under Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

APSA is committed to protecting the privacy of our members, prospective members, volunteers, donors, and website visitors. This Website Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and manage personal information obtained through our website (www.auspsa.org.au) and related online channels, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using our website, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this policy.

We may collect and hold the following types of personal information through our website:

Information you provide directly:

• Full name, email address, phone number and postal address
• Membership application and renewal details
• Payment and billing information (processed via Stripe)
• Enquiry and contact form submissions
• Event registration details
• Volunteer nomination information
• Donation details and donor preferences
• Survey and feedback responses
• Login credentials for member portal access

Information collected automatically:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, device type and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on pages and referring URLs
• Cookie identifiers and session data (Section 8)

We collect only the information that is reasonably necessary for our functions and activities.

We collect personal information through our website via:

• Online membership application and renewal forms
• Member portal registration and login
• Event and webinar registration forms
• Contact and enquiry forms
• Online donation and payment forms
• Email newsletter subscription forms
• Surveys and feedback tools
• Automated collection via cookies and analytics tools (Section 8)

Where we collect personal information from a third party (e.g. a referring member), we will take reasonable steps to notify you of that collection.

We collect and use your personal information to:

• Process and manage your membership application, renewal and records
• Provide access to the member portal and member-only resources
• Communicate with you about membership matters, events, publications and organisational news
• Process online payments and donations and maintain financial records
• Administer elections, AGMs and governance processes
• Provide member services, benefits and opportunities
• Respond to your enquiries and complaints
• Improve our website and online services through analytics
• Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations (e.g. ACNC / ASIC reporting, ATO obligations)
• Send you newsletters or updates where you have subscribed or consented

We will not use your personal information for any purpose unrelated to our functions without your consent. You may opt out of communications at any time by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email or contacting our Privacy Officer.

We may disclose your personal information to:

• Our staff and volunteers who need access to perform their roles
• Third-party service providers engaged to assist with our online operations, including:
  • Website hosting and maintenance providers
  • Payment processors (e.g. Stripe)
  • Email marketing platforms (e.g. Mailchimp)
  • Event management platforms (e.g. Whova)
  • Analytics providers (e.g. Google Analytics)
• Cloud storage and document management providers
• Peak bodies, affiliated organisations or industry associations where required for membership purposes
• Government agencies or regulators where required or authorised by law (e.g. ASIC, ACNC, ATO)
• Other members, to the extent required for governance purposes (e.g. member registers as required by law)

All third-party service providers are required to handle personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws and are subject to confidentiality obligations.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes.

Overseas disclosure: We do not knowingly disclose personal information to overseas recipients, except where our third-party service providers (e.g. cloud platforms) may store data offshore. We take reasonable steps to ensure such providers comply with applicable privacy standards.

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These steps include:

• Using secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS/SSL) for our website
• Storing personal information on secure servers with access controls
• Limiting access to personal information to authorised staff and volunteers on a need-to-know basis
• Using reputable third-party payment processors that comply with PCI-DSS standards (we do not store full payment card details)
• Regularly reviewing our security practices and systems
• Training staff and volunteers on their privacy obligations

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. When no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify the information securely.

Despite our efforts, no data transmission over the internet is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to our website.

If you register for our member portal, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials. Please notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access to your account. We will never ask you for your password via email or phone.

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience and analyse website usage.

Types of cookies we use:

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function (e.g. session management, login authentication)
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g. Google Analytics; data is anonymised where possible)
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website, including access to the member portal.

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request corrections if the information is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or misleading.

Members may be able to update certain personal details directly through the member portal. For all other access or correction requests, please contact our Privacy Officer (Section 12).

We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe (generally within 30 days). In some circumstances, we may be unable to provide access (e.g. where it would unreasonably impact the privacy of other individuals), and we will explain the reasons in writing.

We do not charge a fee for making an access or correction request, though we may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of providing access.

We will only collect sensitive information (such as health information, racial or ethnic origin, or religious beliefs) where:

• You have consented to the collection, and
• The collection is reasonably necessary for one or more of our functions or activities (e.g. to provide accessibility support at events or to administer membership categories based on professional credentials)

Sensitive information will be handled with additional care and will not be used or disclosed for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except as required by law.

If you believe we have breached the APPs or this Website Privacy Policy, you may lodge a complaint with our Privacy Officer (Section 12). We will acknowledge your complaint within five business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

For all privacy related enquiries, access and correction requests or complaints, please contact the APSA Privacy Officer via:

• Email to secretary@auspa.org.au
• Phone on (03) 8560 7035
• Post to Ground Floor, 470 St Kilda Rd MELBOURNE VIC 3004

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

We may update this Website Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The updated policy will be published on our website with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. For significant changes, we will notify members via email or through the member portal.