CommonGround respects the privacy of everyone that visits our website.
Council is committed to complying with the Information Privacy Principles outlined in the Information Privacy Act 2000.
This statement outlines the privacy policy and practices of CommonGround to visitors to Council's website. The policy does not apply to linked websites. We do not link knowingly to sites that are privacy-invasive.

You can use the CommonGround website and browse our website anonymously, without disclosing personal information.

CommonGround website does not retrieve or record any personal information, except for information that you give freely:

• in responding to online forms put on our website occasionally
• to give us feedback on our website.

If you do give this information we only use it for the purpose stated. We do not use this data for direct marketing.
Council staff and contractors that use your personal information collected in this website must protect and handle your personal information in accordance with the privacy principles in the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic.) and Council's Information Privacy Policy

Council's website and Business website use cookies. If you have your cookies disabled in your browser, you will still be able to access our websites.
Council's websites also use cookies through Google Analytics tracking. Google Analytics uses cookies to report on visits to our websites. It does not collect indentifying data such as your name.

What is a cookie?
A cookie is information that is shared between a web server and a user's browser. Cookies give the server information about a user's identity and website visiting patterns and preferences.

For statistical and system administration reasons, Council's Google Analytics tool automatically records this non-personal information:

•  the Internet Protocol (IP) number (the IP number is assigned to your computer when you use the internet)
•  the domain name of the account you use to access the internet (eg. "your-university.edu.au" or "your-department.gov.au")
•  the date and time of your visit to the site
•  the pages you accessed and downloaded
•  the address of the last site you visited, and
•  the type of browser you are using, for example, Firefox or Internet Explorer.

This information will only be used to update and improve our website. To the extent that this data could make you identifiable, Council will not attempt to identify individuals from the records the server automatically generates unless that is necessary to investigate a breach of law or regulation.

We will not disclose your personal information to a third party without your consent, unless we are required or authorised to do so by law or other regulation. In the unlikely event of an investigation into suspected unlawful or improper activity, a law enforcement agency or government agency may exercise its legal authority to inspect the web server's records (for example, in relation to hacking or abusive messages).

The protection of personal privacy is a priority of every person at CommonGround.
This website does not provide facilities that guarantee secure transmission of information over the internet. You should be aware, however, that there are risks in transmitting information across the internet. If you are concerned about conveying sensitive or personal material to Council over the internet, you might prefer to contact us by telephone or post.

CommonGround Council website has links to external websites.
When you click on an external link, a page on this site alerts you that you are leaving CommonGround site and visiting an external site.
Websites that you click on from Council's website may have different privacy policies and practices.
Council suggests you read a website's privacy policy before you share information.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1982 gives the community a legal right to access certain Council documents. CommonGround is subject to the Freedom of Information Act and we respond to requests directly related to this law. Visit the Freedom of Information page for further details.