The following information forms part of the Terms and Conditions of using Council’s websites and by accessing Council’s website you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

Council is committed to protecting user privacy. We understand and appreciate that visitors and users of this web site are concerned about their privacy and the confidentiality and security of any information that may be provided to Council.

Council has created this privacy statement to demonstrate its commitment to protecting personal privacy. This privacy statement applies to all users who access this web site in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of use.

Information collected
Unless you specifically tell us, the Council website will never know who you are.

When you visit our site, our web measurement tool and internet service providers record anonymous information on website activity for statistical purposes only, including the number of users who visit the web site, the date and time of the visits, the number of pages viewed and navigation patterns. This information on its own does not identify an individual but it does provide us with statistics that we can use to analyse and improve our website.

No attempt is or will be made to identify your personal details except in the event of an investigation when a law enforcement agency may exercise a warrant to inspect our service providers’ logs.

We collect no personal information about you unless you voluntarily choose to participate in an activity through this web site that involves the provision of personal information, such as sending electronic mail to this web site, participating in a survey on this website, undertaking a payment or other transaction through this website, or suggesting a link from this web site to an external website. If you choose not to participate in these activities, your choice will in no way affect your ability to use this website.

You are able to access information held by Council about you under the Right to Information Act. If you have questions or concerns regarding Council’s treatment of your information please contact our Customer Service Centre on 07 40499 9444 or Email enquiries@douglas.qld.gov.au.  Please note that some records (eg, land records etc) are open to public inspection under current legislation.

Use of personal information collected
Should you send us any information over the internet, Council will take reasonable steps to ensure it is kept secure. However, Council accepts no responsibility for any unauthorised access to that information during its transmission to us.

Any personal information you choose to provide will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided and will not be disclosed to other persons or organisations without your prior consent or if required by law.

The internet is an insecure medium and users should be aware that there are inherent risks transmitting information across the Internet. Information submitted unencrypted via electronic mail or web forms may be at risk of being intercepted, read or modified. If you do not wish to email or send an online form to Douglas Shire Council, you can send mail by post to PO Box 723, Mossman QLD 4873.

Other sites
Council is not responsible to you for any other websites you may link to from this website. Links to other websites are provided for convenience only and are beyond the control of Council. Those sites may not be current or maintained. Council does not warrant or endorse the information contained on those other web sites. Council will not be responsible for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred by you in accessing or attempting to access those other websites.

Mailchimp and privacy consent

To provide our news we use Mailchimp, which provides online tools that can be used to create, send, and manage emails. Mailchimp may collect personal information, such as distribution lists which contain email addresses, and other information relating to those email addresses. For further information about the type of personal information Mailchimp collects, refer to the Mailchimp’s Privacy Policy.

We will only use this information to:

  • create, send and manage emails relating to the work of the council
  • measure email campaign performance
  • improve the features for specific segments of customers
  • evaluate your use of our website
  • compile reports on website activity for website operators, and
  • provide other services relating to website activity and internet usage.

Mailchimp may transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Mailchimps’s behalf. Mailchimp collects information about when you visit the website, when you use the services, your browser type and version, your operating system, and other similar information.

Mailchimp is based in the United States of America (USA) and the information collected about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Mailchimp on servers located outside Australia. We are required to inform you that by subscribing to our eNewsletter:

  • you consent to your personal information being collected, used, disclosed and stored as set out in Mailchimp’s Privacy Policy and agree to abide by Mailchimp’s Terms of Use
  • you understand and acknowledge that this service utilises a Mailchimp platform, which is located in the United States of America (USA) and relevant legislation of the USA will apply
  • Australian Privacy Principle 8.1 contained in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act will not apply
  • you understand and acknowledge that Mailchimp is not subject to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and you will not be able to seek redress under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) but will need to seek redress under the laws of the USA.

You can opt out of our mailing list if you choose the ‘unsubscribe’ service provided by Mailchimp in every email, or contact us. You can also disable or refuse cookies or disable Flash player; however, you may not be able to use the services provided by Mailchimp if cookies are disabled. Contact Mailchimp.

MailChimp has the endorsement of TRUSTe’s Privacy Seal, which means this privacy policy has been reviewed by TRUSTe for compliance with their Privacy Program Standards including transparency, accountability, and choice related to the collection and use of your personal information. TRUSTe is an independent third party that operates a globally-recognised privacy trustmark.