Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Narellan Music Centre ("Narellan Music Centre", "NMC", "we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and store your personal information, and how you can access or correct it.

This policy is available free of charge on our website. If you require it in an alternative format, please contact us using the details in Section 13.

2. Your Right to Remain Anonymous

Where lawful and practicable, you may choose to interact with us anonymously or using a pseudonym (for example, general enquiries). However, we may not be able to provide certain services without identifying information, such as during enrolment for lessons, programs or therapy services.

3. What Personal Information We Collect

The types of personal information we collect will depend on who you are and how you interact with us.

Students and Parents/Guardians

We may collect:

• Names, dates of birth and contact details (including address, email and phone)
• Parent/guardian details for minors
• Emergency contact details
• Relevant medical or health information disclosed to us to support safety or participation
• Information about learning goals, musical interests and progress
• Attendance records, lesson notes and progress reports
• Media such as photographs or video recordings (where consent is provided)

Some of this information (for example, health information, disability-related information) may be sensitive information under the Privacy Act. We only collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for our functions and you have given your consent, or where we are otherwise permitted or required by law.

Staff and Contractors

We may collect:

• Contact details and identity information
• Qualifications, experience and references
• Working With Children Check (WWCC) or equivalent clearance
• Insurance details (e.g. public liability, professional indemnity)
• Payment and tax details (e.g. bank account, tax information where required)
• Any information needed to meet our child safety, compliance and workplace obligations

Website Visitors and Online Users

We may collect:

• IP address, browser type, device details and usage data
• Information submitted via web forms (e.g. enquiries, bookings, newsletter sign-ups)
• Cookie and analytics information (see Section 8)

4. How We Collect Personal Information

We usually collect personal information directly from you, including when you:

• complete enrolment and registration forms (online or in person)
• communicate with us by phone, email, social media or in person
• participate in lessons, programs, events or therapy sessions held at or through NMC
• use our website, portals or other online systems
• apply to work or contract with us

We may also receive information from:

• parents/guardians or authorised representatives
• contractors, educators and therapists engaged with NMC
• third-party service providers (for example, booking or payment platforms)
• other organisations where you have authorised the disclosure

We may capture photos or videos at NMC activities in line with our Media Consent processes. Participation in photographs or promotional media is always optional.

If we receive unsolicited personal information (for example, through misdirected emails), we will assess whether it is necessary for our functions. If not, we will securely destroy or de-identify it in accordance with APP 4.

5. Why We Collect Personal Information

We collect, hold and use personal information to:

• provide music education and related programs and services
• support the delivery of lessons, groups and (where applicable) therapy services
• manage enrolments, scheduling, attendance and student progress
• support student welfare and safety, including risk management and incident response
• communicate with students, parents/guardians, staff and contractors
• administer billing, payments and general business operations
• comply with legal, regulatory and child safety obligations
• plan, improve and evaluate our programs and services

We may also use limited personal information (such as names and contact details) for direct marketing our programs and events, in accordance with Section 7.

We will not use personal information for purposes that you would not reasonably expect, unless we have your consent or are required or permitted by law.

6. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose personal information to:

• our staff, contractors, educators and therapists where reasonably necessary for them to perform their functions
• parents/guardians of students (where appropriate)
• emergency services, health professionals or support persons in urgent or safety-related situations
• third-party service providers who support our operations, such as:
  • payment processors
  • booking and scheduling systems
  • IT, cloud storage and email providers
  • website, CRM and marketing platforms
• professional advisers (for example, accountants, insurers, lawyers) where needed
• government agencies, regulators or law enforcement where required or authorised by law

Overseas disclosure

Some of our third-party service providers may store or process personal information on servers located outside Australia (for example, cloud hosting, email or analytics services). Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that those providers handle personal information in a way that is consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles or an equivalent standard.

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

7. Direct Marketing

We may use your contact details (such as your name and email address) to send you information about:

• NMC programs, events and workshops
• changes to our services, facilities or schedules
• general news and updates relevant to our community

You can opt out of direct marketing at any time by:

• clicking the "unsubscribe" link in our emails; or
• contacting us using the details in Section 13.

Opting out of marketing communications will not affect important service-related communications (for example, billing notices or urgent updates about lessons).

8. Website Cookies and Analytics

Our website and online services may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• improve site functionality and user experience
• remember your preferences between visits
• collect aggregated statistics about how people use our site

We may use tools such as:

• Google Analytics or similar analytics services
• social media pixels (e.g. Meta/Facebook) for remarketing and insights

These tools may collect information such as your IP address, browser type and pages visited. You can manage or disable cookies in your browser settings, although some features of our website may not function properly without them.

9. Storage and Security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps include:

• storing information in secure systems with role-based access controls
• using passwords and, where appropriate, multi-factor authentication
• keeping physical records in locked cabinets or secure areas
• training staff and contractors on privacy, confidentiality and child safety obligations
• requiring third-party service providers to handle information securely

However, no system can be guaranteed as completely secure. If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will assess and respond in line with our legal obligations, which may include notifying affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

10. Data Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purposes described in this Policy or as otherwise required by law.

In general, this means:

• Students and families - for the duration of enrolment and for a period afterwards to manage queries, complaints, reporting and legal obligations.
• Therapy or health-related information - for the period required by applicable health records and professional standards (where relevant).
• Staff and contractors - for the duration of engagement and for a period afterwards to meet legal, tax and insurance requirements.

When personal information is no longer required and we are not legally required to retain it, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.

11. Access and Correction

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, and you may request that we correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

To request access or correction, please contact us using the details in Section 13. We may need to verify your identity before giving access or making changes.

We aim to respond to requests within 30 days. In some cases we may:

• charge a reasonable fee to cover administrative costs (for example, for large or complex requests)
• refuse access or correction where we are legally permitted to do so (for example, where access would unreasonably impact the privacy of others or be unlawful)

If we refuse a request, we will provide reasons and information about how you can complain if you are not satisfied.

12. Complaints and Concerns

If you have concerns about how we have handled your personal information, or believe we have breached the APPs, please contact us using the details in Section 13.

Please include:

• your name and contact details
• a brief description of your concern or complaint
• any relevant supporting information

We will investigate and aim to respond in writing within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Further information is available at www.oaic.gov.au.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, requests or complaints relating to this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact:

Narellan Music Centre
4B/26 Somerset Avenue
Narellan NSW 2567
Email: hello@narellanmusiccentre.com.au
Website: www.narellanmusiccentre.com.au