Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy sets out the way in which we manage your personal information and safeguard your privacy. This policy applies to the Institute of Mercantile Agents (the “Association”). 

The Association is committed to complying with the 10 National Privacy Principles as set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) to the extent that it is required by law to do so. As an industry association, the Institute of Mercantile Agents is obliged under the Corporations Act 2001 to maintain a register of its members. 

What information do we collect about you? 

The kind of information that we typically collect and hold includes:  

• Information provided by potential members or members, both when they apply for their membership or renew and change their details. This information may include their first name, surname, gender, date of birth, corporation name, trading name, contact details, information about the services they provide, details of where they provide services. 
• Information provided by job seekers in relation to employment with the Association and related information provided by third parties. 
• Information provided by members and non-members to the Association through public forums, seminars, workshops, meetings, trade events, surveys, marketing campaigns and through the website. 
• Information provided by members participating in any upcoming events, special offers, business and third party services.

How do we use and disclose your information?

We collect and store personal information for the following purposes: 

• To allow us to assess applications for membership. 
• To organise and conduct the Association’s business, functions, events and seminars and to otherwise effectively manage the membership of the Association. 
• To allow us to evaluate and manage job applications and inquiries regarding employment with the Association. 
• To allow us to comply with our constitutional requirements (e.g. issuing notices of general meetings, membership renewal notifications, voting right notifications). 
• To allow us to inform non-members about the activities of, and services offered by, the Association and its members. 
• To allow us to keep members informed about the activities of the Institute of Mercantile Agents. Communications may include providing: information relating to progress around policy initiatives, updates about relevant legislation or issues which may be disseminated via website, email, fax or via electronic and hard copy letters or publications such as the Association’s magazine “The Agent” and enewsletter “The Agent in Brief” or fact sheets. We may also provide details about upcoming events and special offers, business services and any third party services available to our membership base.

Disclosure

In order to carry out these activities we may disclose limited personal information to:

1. service providers to whom we outsource certain functions, such as mailing house functions, print suppliers, event managers and IT services; and
2. elected representatives of the Association.

We may also disclose personal information to organisations that provide our members with member benefits and services, such as sponsors and business partners, in order for them to provide those benefits and services. 

Need to change or review your details?

In most cases, we will give you access to the personal information we hold about you. To access information held about you, you will need to provide proof of your identity. Should your personal information be inaccurate, need updating or, you cease to be a member of the Association and would like to be removed from the database, please contact us so that appropriate action can be taken. Generally, if you request us to do so, we will amend your personal information if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. If we do not agree that the information is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date, we will, if requested, take reasonable steps to associate with that record a statement reflecting your concern.

How to contact us?

You can advise us of your request for access or to correct your information, or to request your information be removed, by contacting our National Office in the following ways: 

• Telephone: during business hours on (02) 4927 0477. 
• Email: admin@imal.com.au 
• Fax to the attention of the National Office on (02) 4927 0677 
• Mail to National Secretary, Institute of Mercantile Agents, PO Box 233 WARATAH NSW 2298

Be assured the Association takes the issue of privacy seriously. The Association makes all reasonable efforts to ensure that the information held is protected against misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Should you wish to lodge a Privacy Complaint?

Should you have a concern regarding your personal information held by the Association, you can pursue this by contacting our National Office in the ways set out above. All complaints will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Or you may write directly to: The Privacy Officer Institute of Mercantile Agents PO Box 233 WARATAH NSW 2298.

In the unlikely event that the Association is unable to resolve your complaint, you can then pursue your claim by contacting the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner. In most circumstances your initial contact within the Association will be with the appropriate person to discuss or resolve your complaint, however, if your complaint is not resolved, the matter will then be referred to the Privacy Officer, and if necessary, the Executive Director. You will be informed of the outcome and the reasons for the decision. If you remain unsatisfied, the matter may then be referred to a mutually agreed intermediary. If, after the above steps have been followed, you are still dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the complaint to the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may, from time to time, review and amend this privacy policy. We reserve the right to change this privacy policy at any time. This or any updated policy is available at www.imal.com.au If you have any other queries about your privacy rights or the way in which the Association manages the personal information that it holds, please contact us between 8.30am and 5.00pm, EST Monday to Friday on (02) 4927 0477.