Scope
Personal information (including sensitive information) you provide to Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ("Reef Authority") including any Reef Authority appointed inspector is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 (“Privacy Act”). The Privacy Act provides for 13 Australian Privacy Principles that regulate how the Reef Authority must handle your personal information.
Why we collect your personal information
Your personal information is collected by Reef Authority officers and/or Reef Authority appointed inspectors during field operations to:
- monitor, manage and regulate activities in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (“Marine Park”)
- assist in ensuring your future compliance with environmental laws
- facilitate compliance related planning, reporting and management
- investigate suspected offences under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (“GBRMP Act”) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 2019 (“GBRMP Regulations”) and
- track and record interactions between field staff and Marine Park users.
In certain circumstances the Reef Authority appointed inspectors are authorised by law to collect your personal information, see s444 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This means if a Reef Authority appointed inspector suspects you have committed an offence against an environmental law (including the GBRMP Act and GBRMP Regulations) you must provide your name and address.
You will be advised by a Reef Authority appointed inspector if you are compulsorily required to provide your personal information. You may be subject to conviction and a fine if you refuse to provide your personal information when lawfully required to do so.
Reef Authority appointed inspectors will identify themselves to you when requesting your personal information. Each Reef Authority appointed inspector will produce an identity card. However, please note that every member of the Australian Federal Police is also an inspector under the GBRMP Act and the EPBC Act, and are authorised to enforce environmental laws. Members of the Australian Federal Police will not produce an identity card.
Reef Authority may disclose your personal information in certain circumstances
The Marine Park and World Heritage Area is managed using a multi-agency approach. In certain circumstances it may be necessary to pass your personal information to other Australian and State government agencies. Reef Authority may provide your personal information to other Australian and State government agencies when it is required to do so by law, to further investigate a suspected offence or where you have committed an offence under legislation administered by another agency.
- We may disclose to any of the following Australian and State agencies when required to do so:
- Australian Crime Commission
- Australian Customs Service
- Australian Federal Police
- Australian Fisheries Management Authority
- Australian Institute of Marine Science
- Australian Maritime Safety Authority
- Australian Quarantine Inspection Service
- Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
- Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions
- Queensland Department of Environment and Science
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
- Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
- Queensland Police Service and
- Queensland Transport and Main Roads.
We will not otherwise use or disclose your personal information for an alternate purpose, unless permitted by the Privacy Act.
We do not disclose your personal information to overseas entities.
GBRMPA's Privacy Policy
Please refer to GBRMPA's Privacy Policy if you wish to make a complaint about our handling of your personal information or you seek to correct/amend your personal information held by us.
GBRMPA’s Privacy Policy and complaint procedure can be found at http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/home/privacy