This policy provides information handling practices of Archers, ARC Utilities Management and Smart Strata.
We strive to manage personal information in a best practice way while enabling us to better serve our clients.
Personal information means information or an opinion, true or false and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an identified or reasonably identifiable individual. Sensitive information is a sub-category of personal information and includes details about race, ethnicity, political affiliations and membership of professional trades and associations.
Personal and sensitive information is dealt with in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) including the Australian Privacy Principles (Privacy Act) and this Policy.
The following entities in the Archers Group of Companies (Archers) are covered by this Policy:
Company Name | A.C.N |
Archers BCM Pty Ltd | 053 213 693 |
Archers Body Corporate | 010 611 695 |
Archers BCM (Gold Coast) Pty Ltd | 088 272 913 |
Archers BCM (Cairns) Pty Ltd | 122 795 000 |
Archers BCM (Nth QLD) Pty Ltd | 079 169 298 |
Archers BCM (Services) Pty Ltd | 136 804 870 |
Archers The Strata Professionals Pty Ltd | 604 532 658 |
MAI Strata Pty Ltd | 604 389 264 |
Overview of the Archers Group Services
The functions and activities we carry out our business, and for which we collect and hold personal information, include:
- As Body Corporate Managers, engaged by the Body Corporate (as an independent contractor and not as an employee of the Body Corporate) we supply administrative services comprising as follows:
Secretarial
- Convene and attend the Annual General Meetings (AGM);
- Call nominations for the position of executive and ordinary members of the Committee;
- Prepare and distribute the notice of AGMs and ancillary documentation for Statutory Motions;
- Record and distribute minutes of AGMs;
- Prepare and distribute notices for Committee Meetings;
- Attend Committee Meetings;
- Record and distribute the minutes of Committee Meetings;
- Arrange for the appointment of a returning officer;
Financial
- Open, maintain and operate a bank account for the administrative and sinking fund;
- Prepare a statement of accounts for each financial year;
- Prepare a draft budget for each financial year;
- Issue notices to lot owners for payment of contributions;
- Receipt and bank levies;
- Process and pay accounts;
- Prepare financial records and statements as required by the Regulations for the Module;
- Preparation of taxation files in conjunction with an approved third party;
Administrative
- Pay insurance premiums and organise renewal quotations for renewals;
- Establish and maintain the roll and registers;
- Maintain and keep records;
- Make available the records for inspection;
Additional Services, where applicable, to the Body Corporate that can be provided are as follows:
- Preparation of notice of meeting, distribution of minutes and attendance at meetings in excess of those stated as an agreed service including EGM’s, Flying Minutes and Reconvened Meetings;
- Any reasonable and lawful request by the Body Corporate which is not stated as an Agreed Service;
- Collection of levy arrears;
- Prepare and distribute other levy notices (e.g. utility on-charging notices);
- Provide advice to individual lot owners;
- Insurance claims handling – other than when MAI Strata Pty Ltd are the approved Insurance Agent;
- Preparation of application or legal action/submission to Commissioner for Body Corporate and the Building Services Authority or solicitors;
- Arranging for lodgement of Documents with Department of Natural Resources & Mines;
- Enforcement of by-laws including preparation of breach notices;
- Liaise with independent contractors including major contracts;
- In addition to providing services to Bodies Corporate under the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (BCCM), Building Units and Group Titles Act 1980 (BUGTA) and the South Bank Corporations Act 1989 and other relevant legislation; we provide services to Building Management Groups managed under the Land Titles Act;
- To the strata management industry through education and actively connecting communities through our Smart Strata Website (https://www.smartstrata.com/);
- Through compliance services, facilitating professional fire safety consulting services, workplace health and safety consulting services and quantity surveying services to Body Corporates; and
- As a development consultant to property developers during the planning and design phase, sales and development phase and operational phases.
Collection of personal information
We collect personal information for the purposes stated in this Policy from our clients, lot owners, service providers, suppliers, contractors, consultants, sponsors and individuals who interact with Archers.
Use of personal information
We use personal information we collect to:
- Administer and meet client service requirements in accordance with our administration agreement;
- Facilitate levy payments for Bodies Corporate;
- Facilitate compliance services to Bodies Corporate;
- Facilitate consulting services to developers; and
- Help us improve our service.
We will not use your personal information for any purpose which you would not reasonably expect unless it is consistent with the Privacy Act. If we think a client may not expect a particular use of information we hold about them, we ask for consent before we use it for that purpose.
We will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information that we no longer needs to perform its functions and is not legally required to retain in accordance with the Data Destruction Standard.
Communicating
We may send communication by mail, telephone, email, or other electronic methods, such as through websites or via the StrataMax owners portal (portal). If you indicate a preference for a method of communication, we will endeavour to use that method where it is practical (and adheres to relevant legislation) for us to do so.
Website
When you access our websites and the portal, we may display customised material to you based on your selected options. Our server automatically recognises and stores the domain name of visitors to our websites. In addition, our websites use cookies (both first and third party) which may automatically collect information from you such as pages viewed.
A cookie is a packet of information stored on your computer that allows our server to identify and interact more effectively with your computer. We also use cookies for tracking the statistics of our websites which means that we can better understand your needs and interests as well as improve the layout and functionality of our websites. The display of that material may be based on your prior visits to our websites and portal. We may also use data supplied by service providers to improve our material.
We or our service providers use web analytics to collect a range of information about your interactions with our websites. Web analytic software collects the information using a number of techniques including cookies (both first and third party) and Java Script. We also use web analytics to collect information from the browsers of those who use our websites or participate in the Archers LinkedIn group(s).
The information we collect includes IP address, domain name, date and time of visit, the pages visited and time spent on each page, whether you have visited the site before and what site referred the visitor to the web page. We use this information to evaluate the effectiveness of our websites and the level of interest in particular pages.
Our websites may contain links to other sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or policies of those sites and we suggest that you review the privacy policies of those other sites.
Emails
If you send us an email, that address will be recorded automatically by our e-mail messaging system for the purpose of replying to your e-mail. However for normal communication with you we will use the e-mail address.
Social media
We participate in social media such as our LinkedIn group. If we think it is relevant to the quality of service that we provide, we sometimes record the nature of the topic discussed by a particular individual and their name and follow up with further conversation offline about which we take notes.
Social media services also handle your personal information for their own purposes. These sites have their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or policies of those sites and we suggest that you review their privacy policies.
Security of personal information
We regularly assess the risks of misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure of personal information and ensure that we have adequate measures, including policies, procedures and technology, to address those risks.
All confidential information is held strictly in accordance with the following Policies:
- Information Security Policy;
- Password Enforcement Policy;
- Active Directory Rights and Roles – Role Based Security; and
- Information Management – Data Classification.
We conduct regular internal and external audits to assess whether we have adequately complied with or implemented these measures and have a registered Data Security Policy which provides a data breach handling procedure in accordance with Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Act 2017.
Access to and the accuracy of personal information
You have a right to ask for access to the personal information we hold about you. Unless there is a lawful reason not to, we will give you access to it and allow you to correct any incorrect information.
We will ask you to verify your identity to ensure we don’t give information to the wrong person. If we don’t give you access to your personal information or refuse to correct it we will tell why. You may ask us to make a note of your requested correction to be located alongside information we have not agreed to correct.
Complaints and Enquiries
If you want more information or have a complaint about the way we manage personal information please contact complaints@abcm.com.au
We take your privacy concerns seriously and will respond within 1 business day to let you know who will be handling your matter and when you can expect a further response. If you do not receive a response from us, or you are not satisfied with the response, you may complain to the Australian Information Commissioner.
Information about how to complain to the Australian Information Commissioner, and further information about your privacy rights can be found at https://www.oaic.gov.au/ or by calling the Office of the Commissioner on 1300 363 992.