About our privacy policy
This privacy policy applies to all the publicly accessible pages on the Office of Transport Safety Investigations (OTSI) website located at http://www.otsi.nsw.gov.au (the Site).
OTSI is not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of any third party sites linked to the Site.
Users of the Site are entitled to expect that any information gathered while using the Site will be treated within the terms of the NSW Government's privacy responsibilities and obligations. The NSW Government's privacy practices are regulated by the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) (PPIPA) and Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) (HRIPA).
This Privacy Policy sets out how OTSI collects, uses, discloses and stores information collected through your use of the Site, which may include personal information and health information, and how individuals may access and correct personal information that we may hold. OTSI will only collect, use and disclose this information in accordance with PPIPA, HRIPA and any other applicable laws.
Information that we collect
When you look at the pages on the Site, the computers on which the Site is hosted automatically record information that identifies for each page accessed:
- the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the device being used, which can sometimes be matched to broad geographic data
- the pages accessed, documents downloaded and transactions completed such as keywords searched for on the Site or forms completed
- the date and time of your visit
- the last site and page visited immediately prior to arriving at the Site, including any search terms used at internet search engines
- the address, hostname and top-level domain, for example .com or .au, of your server
- the type of browser and operating system used on the device
- the bandwidth, that is, your internet connection speed
- if the device supports JavaScript or other specific technologies and their version number
- the number of screen colours displayed on the device
- the time spent on each page of the Site.
How we collect this information
Information is captured on the computers on which the Site is hosted. Access to the raw data is restricted to a limited number of officers for the purpose of analysis and to report on the success of the Site in meeting OTSI's communication and access objectives.
How we use the information collected
The information collected during each visit is aggregated with similar logged information and published in reports so that OTSI can identify patterns of usage of the website. This will assist us in improving the OTSI website and the services offered on it.
OTSI will not disclose or publish information that identifies individual machines, or potentially identifies sub-groupings of addresses, without consent or otherwise in accordance with the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 .
Data collected through online forms and emails
Confidential report form
Any information you provide will be treated confidentially and no contact will be made to other parties without your permission.
Subscription form
OTSI requests your name and email address so that we can provide you with regular updates through an email newsletter.
For the same purpose, OTSI may provide this information to a service provider contracted to distribute the email newsletter.
OTSI will not disclose your personal information to anybody else unless we are required to do so by law - for example if the information is needed in an emergency or for a law enforcement purpose.
Providing us with the requested information is voluntary. However, if you choose not to provide us with the requested information, we cannot send you the email newsletter.
The email newsletter is offered as an ‘opt in’ subscription. You can 'opt out' at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the newsletter.
You may request access to your information at any time. To access, update or correct your personal information, or for more information on our privacy obligations, ask to speak to a Privacy Officer.
Data collected through emails
Any email sent to OTSI via links from the Site is assessed then passed onto the most appropriate officer within OTSI. Replies to emails, including the original message, are treated as official records and are saved and archived.
Other uses and disclosures
OTSI will collect, use and disclose more extensive information than stated above in the following circumstances:
- unauthorised attempts to access files which are not published on the Site pages
- unauthorised tampering or interference with files published on the Site
- unauthorised attempts to index the contents of the Site by other sites
- attempts to intercept messages of other users of the Site
- communications which are defamatory, abusive, vilify individuals or groups or which give rise to a suspicion that an offence is being committed, and
- attempts to otherwise compromise the security of the web server, breach the laws of the State of New South Wales or Commonwealth of Australia, or interfere with the enjoyment of the Site by other users.
OTSI reserves the right to make disclosures to relevant authorities where the use of the Site raises a suspicion that an offence is being, or has been, committed.
In the event of an investigation, OTSI will provide access to data to any law enforcement agency that may exercise a warrant to inspect our logs.
Security of information collected and storage
Information collected is stored in an appropriately secure format and held for archival purposes. When the information is no longer required for the purposes for which it was collected it is deleted.
Updates to Privacy Policy
This Policy was last updated on 24 December 2021.
Due to the developing nature of privacy principles for online communication, this policy may be modified or expanded in light of new developments or issues that may arise from time to time. The amended policy will be posted to this site and will operate from the time it is posted.