This statement applies to Personal Information collected by Pacific International Insurance Pty Limited (Pacific). Pacific is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles ("APP") set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) (the "Act"). It will only collect, use or disclose your Personal Information in accordance with the Act and this Privacy Policy.
In this Privacy Policy, the concepts of "Personal Information" and "Sensitive Personal Information" are used. Personal Information is information or an opinion, recorded in a material form or otherwise, whether true or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information or opinion. Additionally, there are special provisions which apply to the collection of some forms of Personal Information which is known as Sensitive Personal Information. This includes health information and information about a person's race, ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of political, professional or trade associations, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual preferences and criminal history. Pacific will generally only request personal information in relation to the services it provides.
2. Our Commitment to Privacy
Pacific is committed to protecting the privacy of your Personal Information. Any issues or complaints over the handling of your personal information can be raised with the Privacy Officer outlined in section 9.
3. Personal Information Collected, Held, Used and Disclosed
3.1 Types of Personal Information Collected and Held
The types of information Pacific collects from you will depend on the Services you require. This may include, but not limited to the following:
your name and date of birth;
your contact details, including telephone number, address, email address and fax number (if applicable);
information relevant to your application for any insurance policy (if applicable) including, without limitation, claims history, industry licences or qualifications;
information relevant to you making a claim (if applicable) including your policy number, details and dates of relevant inspections and treatments, name and address of the claimant, details of the claimant's allegations and your response to those allegations;
bank account or credit card details for payments; and
information about the Services you require from us.
3.2 How Personal Information is Collected and Held
Pacific collects personal information from you in a number of ways. This includes via:
Website or email enquiries made by you or us.
In electronic format on its databases, however it also maintains original paper documents provided to the company (including personal information) in secure storage files. Any copies of original documents provided to the company are destroyed after use via secure shredding bins.
Protecting your Personal Information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. Steps may include password protection for electronic files, securing paper files in locked cabinets and physical access restrictions. Pacific International may provide staff training in relation to the methods we use to protect your Personal Information.
When your Personal Information is no longer required by Pacific for the purpose for which the information was collected, Pacific will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify your Personal Information by deleting electronic files or destroying paper records in a secure manner including shredding the paper record.
3.3 Purposes for which Personal Information is Collected, Held, Used and Disclosed
Pacific will only collect Personal Information from you that is necessary for it to perform its functions and activities, which include, amongst other things:
Supplying general insurance products;
Assisting in managing your ongoing insurance requirements through product information, promotions and services;
Dealing with claims in connection with the above insurance policies;
Addressing any feedback or complaints you may have; and
Answering any questions you may have.
(collectively, the "primary purpose of collection")
4. Pacific Guidelines for Personal Information
Pacific will only collect information from you by lawful and fair means with your consent and not in an unreasonably intrusive way. While Pacific will normally collect Personal Information directly from you, it may also collect your Personal Information indirectly through marketing agents or through a Related Body Corporate or subsidiary.
Pacific needs information about your identity such as your name and contact details for the purpose of sending you a tax invoice in accordance with taxation laws. Pacific is also required under the Insurance Act 1973 and Insurance Contracts Act 1984 to collect Personal Information in regards to insurance services provided.
You may contact Pacific anonymously, however if you do so and do not disclose Personal Information requested by Pacific, it may not be able to provide you with all or part of the Services. Pacific requires a duty of disclosure from clients to enable it to determine whether to insure a client or not. Without requested Personal Information, such a decision, advice or information may not be able to be provided.
If you provide information to Pacific about someone else (such as one of your employees or someone with whom you have had dealings) you must ensure that you have advised the third party of the terms of our Privacy Policy. You must ensure that you are entitled to disclose that information to us and that, without taking any further steps required by privacy laws, Pacific may collect and use such information for the purpose for which it has been collected.
We may send you direct marketing using your personal information advising you about our services. You can contact us to opt out of any direct marketing free of charge.
Statistical information is collected each time you visit the Pacific website to enable us to calculate such things as the number of site visitors and time and duration of site visits. This information is collected for the purpose of evaluating the performance of the website. No individual website user is identified however website visits may be tracked via cookies if cookies are enabled by you. However you may set your browser to refuse cookies.
Pacific does not generally collect Sensitive Personal Information. Pacific will not collect Sensitive Personal Information about you without your consent or as otherwise required or permitted by law. Pacific will not adopt, use or disclose an identifier assigned to you by any other organisation (for example a tax file number or any other unique identifying number or sequence) except to the extent required or permitted by law.
If Pacific receives unsolicited personal information and it determines it would not have collected such information if it solicited it, as soon as practical and if lawful, it will destroy the personal information.
5. Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
Pacific will not use or disclose your Personal Information except in accordance with this section. Pacific will use or disclose Your Information for the primary purposes of collection set out in section 3.3. If Pacific uses or discloses your Personal Information for a Secondary Purpose then, to the extent required by law, it will ensure that:
the Secondary Purpose is related to the primary purpose of collection and you would reasonably expect Pacific to use or disclose your Personal Information for this Secondary Purpose;
you have consented to the use of your Personal Information;
the use or disclosure is required or authorised by or under law; or
the use or disclosure is otherwise required or permitted by law (for example, as a necessary part of an investigation of suspected unlawful activity).
Pacific may need to disclose your Personal Information to the following entities:
a Related Body Corporate or subsidiary;
its Employees, Agents and suppliers;
its consultants, reinsurers and professional advisers;
Government and law enforcement agencies;
a potential purchaser of Pacific business or its issued shares or an investor in Pacific; and
debt collection services.
You consent to Pacific disclosing your Personal Information to the above persons. It is usual for Pacific to disclose your Personal Information to a Related Body Corporate, its Employees and Agents, its suppliers, its insurance/reinsurance providers and its consultants and professional advisers. Where Pacific discloses your Personal Information to these parties, it will use all reasonable endeavours to ensure these parties comply with the terms of this Privacy Policy.
We may also use your Personal Information to send promotional material to enable us to manage your ongoing requirements and our relationship with you. This may include occasional notification of new services, special offers, events or articles on insurance matter we think will be of interest to you. If you would rather not receive such communication you can opt out via the contact options in section 9.
6. Access and Correction of Personal Information
You may request access to your Personal Information at any time. Prior to giving you this information Pacific will take steps necessary to determine your identity. Pacific will provide you with access to your own Personal Information wherever possible and within a reasonable time, except to the extent that:
providing access would pose a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of any individual;
providing access would have an unreasonable impact upon the privacy of other individuals;
the request for the information is frivolous or vexatious;
the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings between Pacific and you and the information would not be accessible by the process of discovery in those proceedings;
providing access would reveal our intentions in relation to negotiations with you in such a way so as to prejudice those negotiations;
providing access would be unlawful;
denying access is required or authorised under law;
providing access would be likely to prejudice:
an investigation of possible unlawful activity or misconduct;
the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of criminal offences, breaches of law involving a penalty or sanction or other prescribed law;
one or more enforcement related activities conducted by, or on behalf of, an enforcement body, performing lawful security activities in relation to the matter; and
information generated by Pacific in connection with a commercially sensitive decision making process.
In circumstances where information is withheld in connection of a commercially sensitive matter, Pacific may give you an explanation for the commercially sensitive decision rather than direct access to the information.
Pacific will not charge you for providing access to your Personal Information if you wish to inspect a file. However if you want a photocopy of your Personal Information it may charge you reasonable photocopying charges.
If Pacific does not provide you with access to your Personal Information because of any of the reasons set out in this section, it will give you a reason for the refusal or consider whether the use of mutually agreed intermediaries will allow sufficient access to meet the needs of both parties. If you are unhappy with the decision you can take the matter further by contacting the Privacy Officer.
Pacific will take all reasonable steps to ensure your Personal Information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up to date. These steps include updating your Personal Information when Pacific is advised by you that your Personal Information has changed and at other times as are necessary. If the Personal Information Pacific holds about you is not accurate, complete or up-to-date, Pacific will correct your Personal Information to ensure that your personal information is correct within a reasonable time. To correct or update your Personal Information you can contact Pacific via the options in section 9.
7. Resolving Privacy Issues or Concerns
If you have any questions relating to this Privacy Policy or you believe we have failed to maintain the privacy of your Personal Information as per this policy or APP guidelines, please contact Pacific's Privacy Officer as outlined in section 9. The Privacy Officer will address your concerns promptly in line with Pacific's Dispute Handling Policy to ensure an independent and transparent process is undertaken when responding to complaints or concerns from clients.
8. Disclosing Personal Information to Overseas Recipients
As Pacific also operates a Branch operation in New Zealand, your Personal Information may be disclosed to its operations in New Zealand. Pacific may also be required to disclose your personal information to its reinsurers as part of providing your service.
9. Privacy Officer and Contact Details
Pacific International's office and Privacy Officer can be contact via the below options:
Address: PO BOX 550 KOTARA NSW 2289
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