BUSSQ

BUSS(Q) respects the privacy of individuals.

Protecting personal information has always been important to us, but now the law requires that personal information is protected. The Commonwealth Privacy Act, in accordance with National Privacy Principles, determines how we must handle personal information.

This document is a summary of BUSS(Q)’s policy on the management of personal information about members.

BUSS(Q) has appointed a specialist Administrator and a group life insurer to provide services to the Fund. These service providers are authorised to use personal information only to administer contracted services, and are required to treat that information in the strictest confidence.

The personal information collected by BUSS(Q) is generally the member’s name and address and other contact details, date of birth, occupation, Tax File Number (if the member has chosen to quote it) and union membership (if the member has chosen to supply union membership details). BUSS(Q) normally collects this information through Member Applications and other forms, but may also collect information from a member’s employer. This information is needed to process each member’s application and administer their benefits. Over time this information is supplemented with financial and other information necessary to administer members’ account.

When assessing a member’s eligibility for insurance cover or in assessing an insurance claim, additional information may be collected from medical practitioners and from current and previous employers. Information collected for insurance purposes will normally only be disclosed to the Fund’s insurer. However where a member may make a total and permanent disablement claim, information might then be disclosed to medical practitioners and other experts nominated by the Fund’s insurer. In addition, if there is any dispute about a member’s entitlement, BUSS(Q) or the administrator or the insurer may disclose information about the member to other advisers (for example, legal advisers).

A significant number of members of BUSS(Q) are also members of Building Employees Redundancy Trust (BERT) and Construction Income Protection Queensland (CIPQ). BUSS(Q) conducts a database matching process with BERT and CIPQ twice yearly to ensure each organization has the most up-to-date address for people who are members of more than one of them. Where the database search shows a different address for the same person, each organization adopts the most recent address. The database matching process means that each member’s address on BUSS(Q)’s records is disclosed to BERT or CIPQ.

BUSS(Q) believes it is important that contributions are paid regularly, and any late payments are identified so steps can be taken to recover late contributions. As part of the process of monitoring contributions, BUSS(Q) from time to time, supplies Fund Sponsors with information about the names of members employed by particular employers who are working on sites where an award, industrial agreement or enterprise bargain agreement is in place as well as the amount of contributions that have been made for them over a period of time.

BUSS(Q) also has obligations under Australian Government Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing provisions and may be required to provide information about your account to AUSTRAC. Should this be the case, we are unable, by law, to advise you that this has occurred.

We may use your information to tell you about products and services offered to BUSS(Q) members by other companies.

Your information may be used by BUSS(Q) to enable us to inform you about new and existing products and services that will enhance our relationship with you.

BUSS(Q) may pass information to Money Solutions Pty Ltd for the purpose of letting you know about products or services that might better serve your financial, superannuation or retirement needs.

If you provide us with your address or email address, we may use it to send our regular communications such as updates on new and existing products and services. If you do not wish to receive any information about the services and products offered by BUSS(Q) or other companies, or if you previously expressed a preference and now wish to change it, call BUSS(Q) on FREECALL 1800 657 216, or use our email facility on the website.