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Your right to privacy

We understand the importance of protecting the right to privacy, particularly in relation to any personal details we may hold about members of the funds we administer.

We have prepared this statement to explain how AAS aims to protect the privacy of each member's personal information. The Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 amended the Privacy Act with effect from 21 December 2001 to include laws that regulate the way private organisations, such as AAS, handle personal information, including sensitive information such as health details.

The Act contains 10 National Privacy Principles that, among other things, regulate how organisations collect, store and protect the quality of personal information. It also regulates how these organisations should use and share personal information with other organisations. The principles form part of all our procedures and policies and the way we operate and administer our clients' funds.

There is a summary of the principles at the end of this communication. If a member chooses not to provide their personal information, it may mean that we will not be able to provide these services to the member, including some fund benefits and options.

Other organisations connected to our administration services which may have access to personal information are:

mailing companies - contracted to do all mailing for AAS
archiving companies - contracted to ensure that all documents are stored in a secure environment
auditors and regulators - ensure AAS is complying with legislation and contractual obligations
insurance companies - provide insurance cover for members

Can members see their personal information at AAS?

Under the national privacy principles, every member has a right to know what personal information AAS holds about them, and is entitled to see this information to ensure it is correct.

What personal information does AAS keep?

AAS collects personal information from fund members to administer their accounts in the funds to which they belong. We do so on behalf of our clients who are the trustees of these funds. The type of personal information we collect may include a member's name, address, date of birth, telephone number and tax file number.

AAS collects personal information when members use their funds' websites to lodge their forms, such as membership application and change of personal detail forms, or if members send us fund documents containing personal information. There may also be circumstances when employers may send personal member details to AAS.

Why does AAS need personal information?

The personal information AAS collects, on behalf of the fund trustees, is used to establish a membership account, to process contributions to a member's account, to correspond with a member and to provide a member with benefits and options from their fund. To obtain this information, members may contact us to ask for their personal details. The Privacy Act gives limited circumstances in which some or all access to this information may be denied. If this applies, we will explain this to members when they ask for their information.

How to contact AAS

If you would like further information on how AAS handles personal information, or if you would like to lodge a complaint about a possible breach of privacy, please contact AAS in one of the following ways:

Phone: (02) 8837 5007
Email: Compliance_AAS@aas.com.au
Fax: (02) 8837 5434
Write to The Compliance Manager, Australian Administration Services Pty Ltd, Locked Bag 4085, PARRAMATTA NSW 2124

If you are dissatisfied with the resolution of any complaints, you can refer the matter to the Privacy Commissioner by calling 1300 363 992.

Summary of the National Privacy Principles

AAS is bound by and will adhere to the National Privacy Principles at all times.

Collecting information

We will collect personal information (where reasonable and practicable) directly from the member. We may at times collect personal information directly from their employer.

Using and sharing information

AAS will use personal information to run a superannuation or redundancy account for the member. This is known as a "primary purpose". If fund trustees need to use personal information for another reason, or secondary purpose, like a marketing campaign, they will ask us to get members' permissions to do so. If we are unable to get their permission before sending our communication, we will give members the opportunity to opt out of any future direct marketing campaigns at the time of mailing to them.

Keeping information accurate and up to date

We will take steps to ensure that the personal information we collect to administer a membership account is accurate and complete. We will do this by ensuring that members have the opportunity to advise changes in their personal details at all times and particularly when they receive their annual fund membership statement.

Keeping information secure

We will not misuse personal information or change it without a member's knowledge. We will not share personal information with anyone who doesn't have authority to see this information. To make sure of this, we will regularly audit access to the systems that support each fund, and make sure that other organisations we deal with for members' accounts (for example insurance companies) have privacy policies adhering to the National Privacy Principles.

Sensitive information

Where we collect sensitive information such as health information, we will only use it for maintaining a member's account in the fund to which they belong (including administration of insurance policies and information disclosure to the relevant insurer and fund trustee). We won't use it for any other purpose or share it with anyone else without a member's permission.