SERVing ethically

Privacy Policy

We value our customers and recognise your right to keep personal information private.

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and disclose your personal information and how to access, correct or raise concerns about the handling of your personal information.

The primary purpose for which we collect your personal information is to maintain the Victorian register of land (and other related registers and indexes) and to provide you with the products and services you have requested. We may use and disclose your personal information and other data for this purpose and also for secondary purposes including to personalise your user experience, to promote SERV products and services to you, to provide data products and data licensing arrangements to other customers and to comply with statutory requirements and our contractual obligations to the State of Victoria.

SERV’s Commitment to Maintaining Your Privacy

You have the right to:

  • know what type of personal information we collect from, and about, you;
  • know when, how, and for what purpose we collect, use, store and disclose your personal information; and
  • access your personal information and correct any errors.

Secure Electronic Registries Victoria Pty Ltd as trustee for the Secure Electronic Registries Victoria Trust (SERV, us or we) values and protects the personal information we collect in the course of undertaking our responsibilities and takes its responsibilities relating to information security, privacy and data protection seriously. All personal information that SERV collects is handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) (PDPA) (together, the Privacy Laws) and this privacy policy (Privacy Policy).

Scope

SERV is a private operator which has been granted the exclusive right to provide various products and services relating to the Victorian Land Registry to the State of Victoria, public agencies and authorities, the general public, information brokers, electronic lodgement network operators (ELNOs) and other organisations.

What We Collect

Personal information is information about you from which your identity could be reasonably ascertained.

Examples of the types of personal information we collect include:

  • Contact and personal details (e.g. name, address, phone numbers and email addresses, date of birth)
  • Credit card and bank account information
  • Powers of attorney, wills and probate related documents
  • Identity verification information (e.g. passport, rates notices, Medicare card and drivers licence – or Government identifiers e.g. tax file numbers)
  • IP address, device ID, MAC address, browser information, installed software, hardware type, access date/time and length of session time when accessing our website
  • Information relating to dealings with land (e.g. transfer of land, mortgages, caveats etc)

How and When We Collect Personal Information

We will collect your personal information if you (or one of your representatives):

  • Register an account with us
  • Order one of our products or services (e.g. title, property and planning certificates)
  • Are party to (or representing a party to) a dealing relating to land in Victoria
  • Contact us, participate in our surveys, subscribe to one of our online services, newsletters or mailing lists or access our website or social media accounts.

We might also collect your personal information if we need it to perform related business and service delivery functions (including for legal, personnel, administrative and management purposes).

Information is collected directly from you wherever possible. However, we may also collect personal information about you from others including your representatives and agents, ELNOs, information brokers, publicly available sources, our service providers, local councils and government departments and agencies.

If we need to collect any "sensitive" information about you (including information about your health or medical needs, racial or ethnic origin, political opinion, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or criminal record), then we will seek your specific consent to do so.

How We Use Personal Information

We will only use or disclose your personal information for:

  • the purpose for which it was collected (Primary Purpose);
  • a purpose which is related to the Primary Purpose AND which you would reasonably expect (Secondary Purpose);
  • with your express consent; or
  • a purpose otherwise permitted under the Privacy Laws.

 

The purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information include (without limitation):

  • Maintaining publicly available registers and indexes
  • Verifying your identity
  • Contacting you to survey you about your experience with SERV
  • As required or authorised by law
  • Providing products and services (including data products and data licensing arrangements developed and/or offered by us from time to time) to our customers
  • Providing customer support and responding to feedback
  • Undertaking subscriber audits of information brokers, and other third parties who access the land registers, or when in conjunction with audits of our systems by relevant government authorities or their agents
  • Resolving any disputes that we may have with any of our users and enforcing our agreements with third parties
  • Acquiring products or services from a third party supplier (in circumstances where those products or services are necessary for us to provide a service to you or another customer)
  • Internal administrative operations including to measure and improve our services and business operations
  • Sending you marketing and promotional messages (*Note - you consent to us sending you marketing communications but may opt-out of receiving these communications at any time by using the opt-out mechanism in one of our communications to you OR contacting our Privacy Officer)
  • Satisfying statutory requirements and our contractual obligations to the State of Victoria

 

SERV may, from time to time, disclose the personal information it holds to State agencies and officers including, without limitation, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, the Registrar of Titles and Valuer-General of Victoria.
SERV does not have any responsibility for the privacy policies or practices of any third-party including (without limitation) third party websites linked to our websites.

Data Quality

We aim to ensure that the personal information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up to date. We rely on you to provide accurate and complete information. Please refer to the Contact and Complaints section below for information about how to contact us to update or correct the personal information we hold about you.

Data Security and Integrity

SERV seeks to protect your personal information from misuse and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

We will securely destroy or de-identify your personal information when it is no longer needed for any purpose (subject to any applicable data retention requirements).

Overseas Transfers of Information

Information that is part of Victoria’s land titling and valuation systems is available worldwide and can be accessed by anyone.

We will only transfer your personal information outside Australia where this is required for the purpose for which the information was collected, if required or permitted by law or if you otherwise consent to the transfer. If we disclose your information outside Australia, we will seek to ensure the information is afforded the same protection in that jurisdiction as it would receive in Australia.

Access to and Correction of Your Personal Information

You have the right to access and correct any personal information that SERV holds about you, except in certain circumstances prescribed by law.

If you wish to gain access to your personal information or correct it, you can contact us using the details provided in the Contact and Complaints section below.

If we are not able to provide you with access to your personal information or action your request to correct it, we will provide you with our reasons why.

Unique Identifiers

A unique identifier is a code consisting of alphabet characters and numbers (but not a person's name), which is applied to an individual to distinguish that person from other individuals – for example, a driver's licence number.

SERV does not assign, use or disclose unique identifiers to individuals unless it is necessary to do so to carry out our functions efficiently.

Anonymity

Wherever it is lawful and practicable, SERV will give you the option to interact with us anonymously or by using a pseudonym. However, given the nature of our services and products, in many cases it will be impracticable for us to deal with individuals who have not identified themselves or have used a pseudonym. If you refuse to provide us with the information that we require, we may be unable to provide the service or product you have requested.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

This policy may change over time. All changes will be published on this website and the amended, modified or replacement Privacy Policy will be binding once it is published. We encourage you to consider our Privacy Policy each time you visit our website or provide us with personal information.

Contact and Complaints

We take your privacy and any complaints you have about it seriously.  If you:

  • want to gain access to your personal information;
  • think that any personal information we hold is inaccurate and want to correct it;
  • have any queries about the way we handle your personal information; or
  • would like a copy of this Privacy Policy, please contact our Privacy Officer (details below).

 

If you believe that we have breached our privacy obligations or your privacy has been breached or interfered with, you may make a formal complaint to SERV by contacting our Privacy Officer.

We are committed to the quick and fair resolution of any complaints.

The Privacy Officer’s contact details are:

Attn:  SERV Privacy Officer
Secure Electronic Registries Victoria
Locked Bag 20005
Melbourne VIC 3001

privacy@servictoria.com.au

 

If your complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction or you still have a concern relating to your privacy, you can contact:

  • the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner in relation to a matter concerning the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic). You can do this in any of the following ways:
  • the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner in relation to a matter concerning the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). You can do this in any of the following ways:

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