Keaveney Family Funerals

Confidentiality, dignity and respect in every arrangement.

1. Our commitment to privacy

Ciaran Keaveney trading as Keaveney Family Funerals (ABN 33 523 525 081) (we, us or our) respects your privacy and understands the trust placed in us when arranging a funeral or related service.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information, how you may access or correct your information, and how you may raise a privacy concern.

We manage personal information in accordance with this policy and, where applicable, the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and other relevant laws. Although Australian privacy legislation generally protects information about living individuals, we also treat information about a person who has died with confidentiality, dignity and respect.

2. The information we may collect

The information we collect depends on the services requested and may include:

• names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth and identity details;
• details about your relationship to the person who has died and your authority to make funeral arrangements;
• information about next of kin, family members, executors, legal personal representatives and other contacts;
• information required to transfer and care for the person who has died and arrange cremation, burial, repatriation or a memorial service;
• information needed for death registration, cremation, burial, cemetery, coronial, medical, transport and other statutory requirements;
• religious, cultural and personal preferences relevant to the funeral arrangements;
• health, medical, infectious-disease or other sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for safe care, lawful arrangements or the protection of others;
• financial, invoicing, payment and transaction information. Payment-card details may be handled directly by our payment provider rather than stored by us;
• copies of forms, authorities, identification documents, correspondence, notes and records of instructions;
• photographs, recordings, livestream or webcast content, obituary information and tribute material supplied or authorised for a funeral or memorial; and
• information provided through our website, contact forms, email, telephone, social media or other communications with us.

We only collect information that is reasonably necessary for our work or required or authorised by law. We will seek consent before collecting sensitive information where consent is required.

You may make a general enquiry without identifying yourself or by using a pseudonym where practicable. We will usually need accurate identifying and authority information before we can arrange or carry out funeral services or complete legally required documents.

3. How we collect information

We may collect information:

• directly from you or another person arranging or participating in the funeral;
• from an executor, administrator, next of kin, authorised representative or family member;
• from hospitals, aged-care facilities, hospices, doctors, health professionals, coroners, police and government agencies;
• from transfer providers, mortuary and care providers, cemeteries, crematoria, clergy, celebrants and other funeral-service suppliers;
• from insurers, solicitors, financial institutions or prepaid-funeral providers where relevant;
• through our website, email, telephone, forms, social-media pages and service providers; and
• from publicly available sources where lawful and reasonably necessary.

Where practicable, we collect personal information directly from the person concerned. In funeral arrangements, it is often necessary to receive information about several people from one authorised family contact or from professional and government sources.

If you provide us with another person’s personal information, please ensure that you are authorised to do so and, where practicable, that the person is aware of this policy.

4. Why we collect, use and hold information

We may collect, use and hold information to:

• respond to enquiries and provide estimates, quotes and funeral information;
• verify identity, instructions and legal authority;
• arrange transfers, mortuary care, preparation, viewing, funeral ceremonies, cremation, burial, memorials, repatriation and the return or interment of ashes;
• complete and lodge death-registration, cremation, burial, cemetery, coronial, transport and other required documents;
• coordinate with families, service participants, suppliers, contractors and authorities;
• prepare service materials, notices, tributes, recordings or livestreams where requested or authorised;
• manage contracts, invoices, payments, refunds, accounts and debt recovery;
• maintain service, business, insurance, tax and legal records;
• manage complaints, disputes, safety issues, incidents and legal claims;
• protect our lawful interests and comply with legal, regulatory and insurance obligations; and
• improve our services, administration, website and information security.

We do not sell personal information. We may send service-related communications and, where permitted, occasional information about our services. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe option provided or contacting us. We will still send communications necessary to carry out an arrangement or meet a legal obligation.

5. When we may disclose information

We may disclose information where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including to:

• the family contact, applicant, executor, administrator, next of kin or another person with appropriate authority;
• transfer, mortuary and care providers, including Personal Services Australia where engaged;
• hospitals, aged-care facilities, doctors, coroners, police and other relevant authorities;
• NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages and other government agencies;
• crematoria, cemeteries, funeral venues, clergy, celebrants, florists, musicians, printers, audiovisual providers, livestream providers, newspapers, couriers and other service suppliers;
• airlines, freight providers, consulates, embassies and overseas funeral directors for an authorised repatriation;
• banks, payment processors, accountants, auditors, insurers, solicitors and professional advisers;
• technology, communications, records-management, cloud-storage, website and cybersecurity providers; and
• any other person where you have authorised the disclosure or where disclosure is required or authorised by law.

We disclose only the information reasonably needed for the relevant purpose. We do not disclose one living family member’s personal information to another family member merely because they are related; consent, authority or another lawful basis may still be required.

6. Overseas disclosures

We do not ordinarily send personal information overseas unless it is necessary for an authorised service, such as repatriation, or is handled by a technology or cloud-service provider operating outside Australia.

Overseas recipients may be located in the country connected with a repatriation or other service, including Ireland or the United Kingdom, and some technology providers may process or store information in the United States or other countries where they operate. Provider locations can change.

You may contact us for the information reasonably available to us about current overseas locations relevant to your arrangements.

Where required, we take reasonable steps to ensure an overseas recipient handles personal information consistently with applicable Australian privacy requirements. We will obtain any consent required for an overseas disclosure.

7. Website, cookies and social media

When you use our website, limited technical information may be collected, such as your internet protocol address, browser and device type, pages visited, referring website and the date and time of your visit. Our website or service providers may use cookies and similar technologies for security, functionality and website analytics.

You can usually control cookies through your browser settings, although disabling them may affect website functions.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies. Social-media platforms may also collect information independently when you interact with our pages or content.

8. Government identifiers

We may collect or use a government-related identifier only where reasonably necessary to verify identity, complete required documents, register a death or meet another legal obligation. We do not adopt a government identifier as our own identifier for you unless permitted by law.

9. Security and confidentiality

We take reasonable physical, administrative and technical steps to protect the information we hold from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps may include restricted access, secure systems, password protection, multi-factor authentication, secure document handling, staff or contractor confidentiality requirements and secure disposal practices.

No method of storage or electronic transmission is completely secure. If a data breach occurs or is suspected, we will act promptly to contain and assess it. Where the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme or another law applies, we will notify affected individuals and the relevant regulator when required.

10. Retention and disposal

We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide services, administer the arrangement, respond to later family enquiries, manage ashes or memorial matters, maintain accurate business and insurance records, resolve disputes and comply with legal, tax, registration and regulatory requirements.

Retention periods vary according to the type of record and the applicable requirements. When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy it or permanently de-identify it, unless it must be retained by law.

11. Accessing or correcting your information

You may ask to access the personal information we hold about you or request that inaccurate, incomplete, out-of-date, irrelevant or misleading information be corrected.

Please contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity and authority before responding. We will respond within a reasonable period and will not charge for making a request. We may charge a reasonable amount for the cost of providing access where permitted by law and advised in advance.

In limited circumstances, the law may permit or require us to refuse access or correction. If this occurs, we will explain the reason where lawful and tell you how you may complain.

12. Privacy enquiries and complaints

If you have a question, concern or complaint about privacy, please contact:

Privacy Officer
Keaveney Family Funerals
Email: care@keaveneyfamilyfunerals.com.au
Location: Wollongong, New South Wales

Please provide enough information for us to understand and investigate the matter. We will acknowledge a complaint as soon as reasonably practicable, aim to respond within 30 days and keep you informed if more time is required.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to ask about your available options:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Telephone: 1300 363 992

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, practices, providers or legal obligations change.

The current version will be published on our website with its effective date. Material changes will apply from the stated effective date.