Read the policy
Improving customer data to service you better
To ensure our customers have a smooth, streamlined service, in March 2019 we updated the way we use and collect your personal information.
Traditionally, a separate customer contact record is created each time you interact with one of our services. For example, you may have one customer contact record with the City of Melbourne’s library service, another with our recreation centre and another on our rates database.
This has presented difficulties in maintaining accurate contact details for our customers and providing a timely and streamlined service to them.
The City of Melbourne now compiles and maintains a secure central customer record for each customer, which will eventually be used across all of Council’s services.
Over the coming years, we will consolidate customer details such as name, phone number, email and customer history from all our services, including waste, parking permits, pet registrations, libraries, gyms and more.
This information is available to relevant City of Melbourne officers and service providers to respond to your service requests or any other directly related purpose.
Only specific services and reports of issues, such as reporting graffiti, reporting an illegally-parked vehicle, requesting tree maintenance or objecting to a parking fine, are included in this initial change.
About the central customer record
These changes make it easier to report an issue or request a service. You also receive a more personalised service and receive regular updates on the progress of your request.
Your central customer record contains your current contact details and the history of your contacts with the City of Melbourne.
Your central customer record:
- is compiled by City of Melbourne for the purpose of responding to your service requests or any other directly related purpose
- may be disclosed to Council’s contracted service providers (name and contact details only) in instances where it is necessary for the contractor to carry out a specific job or task on Council’s behalf. Our contracted service providers may use your contact details to get in touch with you in relation to your service request
- will be progressively linked to any new service requests or inquiries you submit regarding any of Council’s services (such as libraries, gyms, recreational programs, planning matters, pet registrations and local law matters)
- is not disclosed to any other external party without your consent, unless required or authorised by law (For more details see section ‘Use and disclosure of information’ of the City of Melbourne privacy policy)
- is updated whenever you provide any additional personal information to Council.
You can elect to remain anonymous for some service requests and reports of issues. However, if no personal information is provided, we may not be able to action some service requests.
Yes, you can choose to opt-out of having your record consolidated. Simply fill out our online enquiry formOpens in new tab so we can remove you from having a central customer record.
We will continue to update this webpage to keep you posted on upcoming changes.
City of Melbourne is committed to protecting your privacy. For more information consult the City of Melbourne privacy policy.
You can also contact us on 03 9658 9658 or visit our Contact us page.
Frequently asked questions
Personal information is recorded information or opinion, whether true or not, about an identifiable individual.
Personal information typically includes, but is not limited to the following:
- name
- address (postal and email)
- telephone (home, work and mobile)
- date of birth
- Medicare number
- credit card and bank account numbers
- motor vehicle registration
Under the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014, we have obligations in relation to how we collect, store, use and access personal information you provide to us.
Council is required to set out in a document clearly expressed policies on its management of personal information. This document is based on the ten information privacy principles, which regulate the handling of information.
This document must be made available to anyone who asks for it. Council’s Privacy Policy Statements are available in the documents at the top of this page,
The Act covers councillors as well as City of Melbourne staff. Non-government organisations that work for us under contract may also be obliged to comply, depending on the contract.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) (FOIA), a person is entitled to seek correction or amendment of a document containing their personal affairs information, where they have obtained that document from CoM under the FOIA, and they believe the information is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or would give a misleading impression.
Requests for amendment must:
- be made in writing and addressed to the:
Coordinator Council Business
City of Melbourne
GPO Box 1603
Melbourne VIC 3001
Email: privacy@melbourne.vic.gov.au
- specify an address to which a decision notice can be sent the person making the request
- specify the matters in respect of which the person making the request believes the personal affairs information is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading
- specify the amendments the person making the request wishes to be made.
If you believe we have breached the Information Privacy Principles, please contact a member of the Council Business team on 03 9658 9658 or email privacy@melbourne.vic.gov.au.
