Privacy Statement

Overview

Defence Families of Australia (DFA) is the Ministerially appointed non-statutory, non-corporate advisory body for Defence and Government on matters pertaining to Australian Defence Force families.

DFA provides a forum for families to raise matters and assists families in accessing the Defence information they need. DFA is governed by a Charter and Terms of Operations, and a set of subordinate Operating Guidelines.

DFA is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information which we collect, hold and administer. This Privacy Statement outlines how we collect, use, disclose and secure your personal information. Defence is responsible for DFA’s information management practices, including Privacy.

Further information on Defence’s information management practices, which DFA has adopted, including storage, security, access and correction of your personal information, can be found in the Defence Privacy Policy.

Why we collect personal information

We collect your personal information for the primary purpose of performing the tasks outlined in the DFA Charter, which is available on our website at dfa.org.au

DFA collects your personal information:

• to provide advice to the Minister and the Chief of the Defence Force, or appropriate stakeholders;
• to inform policy development and decision making;
• to provide a recognised forum for Defence families (as individual families and a collective);
• to provide you with information and updates;
• to engage with, or refer you to service providers, if appropriate;
• to support you including advocating for promote beneficial outcomes for you, Defence families and the ADF;
• to provide advice and support in relation to benefits, assistance, rights, responsibilities and policies that may apply;
• to manage complaints and feedback.

The information we collect

DFA collects information to support performing the functions in the DFA Charter. We collect personal information, including sensitive personal information, including your:

• name;
• contact details (email address, telephone number);
• current location;
• PMKeys identifier;
• Information about your circumstances, including:
  – family circumstances;
  – health information (including medical history and medication);
  – services you have accessed or contacted;
  – investigations/complaints about or related to you;
  – criminal activity you are alleged to have been involved in.
• Information about your family and other relevant people, including your:
  – Partner;
  – Children;
  – chain of command;
  – authorised representatives.

How we collect personal information

We collect personal information in many ways, including by email, phone, face-to-face interactions, via our website and through third party referrals.

Where reasonable and practicable to do so, we will collect your personal information only from you. However, in some circumstances we may be provided with information by third parties, such as your spouse/partner, another family member, and your authorised representative or a third party referral. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are made aware of the information provided to us by the third party.

If we receive unsolicited personal information about you, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify the information as soon as practicable unless it is a Commonwealth record or it is unlawful or unreasonable to do so.

When we collect your personal information, we will generally explain to you why we are collecting the information and how we plan to use it.

Use or disclosure of personal information

Use or disclosure of personal information DFA will only use or disclose your personal information or sensitive personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and generally only for the purpose for which it was collected (see Why we collect personal information).

DFA may also use or disclose your personal information to another person or entity in certain circumstances:

• where you have explicitly consented;
• where it is required or authorised by an Australian law or court/tribunal order; or
• where the secondary purpose directly relates to the purpose for which we obtained the information and you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure.

Security and storage of personal information

DFA takes the security and storage of personal information seriously and has adopted Defence’s information management practices.

Further information on the storage, audit and security practices related to personal information can be found in the Defence Privacy Policy.

How to request access or a correction to your personal information

Details about how to request access to, or correct your personal information we hold about you can be found in the Defence Privacy Policy.

Privacy enquiries and complaints

If you have any queries or complaints about how your personal information, including external complaints please refer to the Defence Privacy Policy.

Alternatively, you can contact:
Defence Families of Australia
BP35-3-077
35 Brindabella Circuit
Canberra Airport ACT 2609
advocacy@dfa.org.au