Your rights to privacy
We, the MERT trustees, understand the importance of protecting your right to privacy and have therefore prepared this statement to help you understand how we aim to protect the privacy of your personal information.

In this document we outline what details we keep about you and why we need these details. Please note that although we refer to "MERT" throughout the document, generally it is Australian Administration Services Pty Ltd (AAS) that collects and uses your details on our behalf. AAS is the company that administers MERT (in which you have a redundancy account) on behalf of the MERT trustees.

The new Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 amends the Privacy Act (from 21 December 2001) to include laws that regulate the way private organisations, like MERT, handle personal information.

The Act contains 10 National Privacy Principles that regulate, among other things, how organisations collect, store and protect the quality of personal information. Also, how these organisations should use and share personal information with other organisations. The National Privacy Principles form part of all our procedures and policies and the way our members' accounts are administered.

There is a summary of the National Privacy Principles at the end of this communication.

What personal information will MERT keep about me?
MERT collects personal information from MERT members to administer their accounts. The type of personal information they collect about you includes your name, address, date of birth, telephone number and tax file number.

MERT collects personal information when members use the MERT website to lodge their forms, such as membership application and change of personal details forms, or if members send MERT documents containing personal information. There may also be circumstances when your employer may send personal details to MERT for you.

Risks of using the internet
You should note that there are security risks in transmitting information via the internet. You should assess these potential risks when deciding whether to use our on-line services. If you do not wish to transmit information via the MERT website, there are other ways in which you can provide this information, such as by mail, telephone or on-site visit.

Collection of browsing information
When you browse the MERT website, our service provider logs the following information for statistical purposes:

  • your server address;
  • top level domain name (for example .com, .gov, .au, etc.);
  • the date and time of your web-site visit;
  • the pages you looked at;
  • the documents you down-loaded;
  • the previous site you visited; and
  • the type of browser you used.

We will not try to identify users or their browsing activities except, in the event of an investigation, where a law enforcement agency may exercise a warrant to inspect the service provider's logs.

The MERT website is 'cookie' free, which means we will not send you any unsolicited information after you have accessed our website.

We will only record your e-mail address if you send us a message. It will not be added to a mailing list.

Why does MERT need my personal information?
The personal information MERT collects about you, on our behalf, is used to establish an MERT membership account, to process contributions to your account, to correspond with you and to provide you with redundancy benefits and options from MERT.

If you choose not to provide your personal information, it may mean that we will not be able to provide these services to you, including some MERT benefits and options.

There are other organisations that are connected to the administration services we provide to you and which may have access to your personal information. They are:

  • Mailing companies - organisations contracted to do all mailing for MERT.
  • Archiving companies - organisations contracted to ensure that all documents are stored in a secure environment.
  • Auditors and Regulators - organisations that ensure MERT is complying with legislation and contractual obligations.

Can I see the personal information MERT has about me?
Under the National Privacy Principles, you have a right to know what information we and MERT hold about you, and you are entitled to see this information to ensure it is correct. To obtain this information, please contact MERT to ask them for your personal details. The Privacy Act gives limited circumstances in which some or all access to this information may be denied. If this applies to you, MERT will explain this to you when you ask for your information.

How can I contact MERT?
If you want further information on how MERT handles personal information, or if you want to complain about a possible breach of privacy, please contact MERT in one of the following ways:

  • By phone on 1800 023 692
  • Write to


    • Australian Administration Services Pty Ltd
    Compliance Manager
    Locked Bag 20
    Parramatta NSW 2124
  • Visit MERT at Level 12, 126 Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150
  • By fax on (02) 8837 5430

If you are dissatisfied with the resolution of any complaints, you can refer the matter to the Privacy Commissioner by calling 1300 363 992.