Plumbers, Gasfitters

and Drainlayers Board

Website privacy statement

What this statement covers

This statement outlines what personal information we collect, how we store and protect it, how we use it, and when we may disclose it. Importantly, it also outlines the rights people have to access personal information held about them by the Board, and request correction of that information if they believe it is incorrect. It covers all interactions with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board by whatever means and all activities the Board undertakes.

We comply with all of our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020 (Privacy Act) in relation to personal information we hold. That includes informing you of what we do, how we do it, and what your rights are in relation to your personal information.

Our commitment to you

When we handle your personal information, we aim to:

collect only what we need to perform our functions
be clear with you about what we are collecting, how, and why
use and share your information lawfully
take reasonable steps to keep your information accurate and up to date
keep your information secure using appropriate safeguards
help you access and seek correction of your information.

We also expect the organisations and people we work with (including all contractors and service providers) to handle your personal information with the same care.

Collecting personal information

Why we collect personal information

We collect and use personal information to carry out our statutory functions under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 (Act). We will not use your personal information for unrelated purposes unless it is required or permitted by law, or you have agreed to us doing so.

If you choose not to provide information where it is required, the Board may not be able to provide the service for which the information is being collected (e.g. may not be able to process your application for registration or a licence).

How we collect personal information

We may collect your personal information in three different ways.

Collect it from you

We will collect it from you directly, for example when you apply for registration or a licence, enrol for CPD, respond to a call, email, or letter from the Board, or where you call or email the Board. We aim to collect personal information about you from you directly, whenever possible.

Collect it from someone else

In some cases, we may collect or verify information about you from another person or organisation, such as a training provider, supervisor, or another regulator like WorkSafe NZ (in relation to gas certificates). In addition, other people may provide us with information about you such as someone making a complaint about your work.

Create it

Finally, we may create information about you while carrying out our responsibilities, such as considering an application from you or making findings in an investigation or hearing.

The types of personal information we may collect

Regulatory Services

In delivering our regulatory functions, including registration, licensing, CPD, examinations, audits, supervision checks and some compliance activities, examples of information we may collect from practitioners include:

your name, address and contact details
your date of birth
information provided voluntarily about your gender or ethnicity
information relating to your fitness to practice (e.g. medical records, court records)
information about your qualifications or skills.

We may sometimes collect or verify personal information with the following third parties, if necessary:

Australian regulators under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement (TTMRA)
training providers, CPD providers or examination providers
technical assessors or certification bodies
employers or supervisors
courts, tribunals, police or other agencies
publicly available sources.

Complaints, investigations, prosecutions and disciplinary

In the process of assessing complaints and conducting investigations, prosecutions and hearings, it is common for us to obtain personal information from sources other than the person concerned. Examples of information we may collect include:

names, contact details, and registration numbers
property addresses
allegations or concerns about conduct or workmanship
descriptions of events and circumstances
witness statements
photographs or video of work or premises,
correspondence including emails, text messages, and messages exchanged through social media apps
invoices, certificates, and job documentation,
prior complaint or compliance history (where relevant)
information obtained from social media
information gathered from publicly available sources (e.g. Companies Office).

This information may be provided by:

complainants (such as members of the public, clients, or homeowners)
witnesses
employers or supervisors
other practitioners
other regulators (for example, WorkSafe)
public sector agencies
courts or tribunals
police
publicly available sources (such as Companies Office, social media, or other media reports)

Self-contained vehicles

The self‑contained vehicles (SCV) regime, the Board collects personal information to support certification, monitoring, compliance, and enforcement functions. Much of this information is collected directly from certification authorities, enforcement authorities, or applicants, but we sometimes may collect or verify personal information from other sources.

Examples of information collected include:
vehicle registration numbers
information about vehicle inspectors
information about certification authorities or responsible persons
certification, inspection, or audit records
information received through notifications or complaints about SCV compliance.

Recording phone calls

We may record some telephone calls. We will do this to:

maintain accurate records
support our processes
ensure accuracy
train staff.

Where calls are recorded, callers will be informed at the start of the call or at the point of contact. If you do not wish to have the call recorded, you should advice the staff member and you can then discuss how you wish to communicate with us.

Registers

Under the Act, we must keep the following public registers:

The Act requires us to make certain information publicly available on these registers. Only personal information we are legally required to have on the registers, if any, is publicly available.

The register of plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers includes information such as a practitioner’s name, registration and licensing status, licence history, and any disciplinary outcomes.

Personal information in the register of self-contained vehicles is limited to the vehicle owner’s name and address, and it is not publicly searchable. Access is limited to authorised certification authorities and enforcement officers. There is a separate privacy statement for the self-contained vehicles register.

Our website

We do not collect personal information through our website unless you submit an application or make an enquiry that way.

We do collect general information about the use of our website to help us improve the site and to prevent unauthorised access by using cookies, but this information is non-specific and does not identify any person. You can disable cookies at any time by checking your browser's 'Help' to find out how. Disabling cookies will not affect your ability to use this website.

The types of information collected through our website includes IP addresses, search terms used, general IT information, site referrals, pages viewed and time spent on the site.

Storing, using, and disclosing your personal information

How we keep your information safe

We use a variety of methods to keep personal information secure including physical security measures, access controls and authentication, and secure information systems and technology. We also have policies and procedures in place to protect your information, and we train staff in the safe and appropriate use of all personal information.

Using your information

We use personal information only for the purpose or purposes for which it was collected or for a directly related purpose. Any other use of personal information must be permitted under the Privacy Act 2020 or be required by law.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we use is accurate and current.

Deleting personal information

We will only keep your personal information for as long as we need it for the purpose or purposes it was collected for and information is deleted when it is no longer needed.

Sharing or disclosing your information

We will not share your personal information unless it is necessary for the purpose or purposes we collected it for, you have consented to us sharing it, or where we are required or permitted to disclose it by law.

Your right to access and correct your personal information

You can access your information

You have the right to ask us if we hold personal information about you and to access that information if we do.

Practitioners can also access some of their personal information through their trade login.

You can ask us to correct your personal information

If you consider that any of the personal information we hold about you is incorrect, you can ask us to correct it. We will consider your request and may correct the information or give you the opportunity to have a statement stored with your personal information saying that you think it is incorrect.

Privacy breaches and complaints

Breaching your privacy

Where the Board becomes aware of a privacy breach or possible privacy breach that poses a risk of serious harm, we will take all appropriate steps in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act. This will include notifying any person affected and advising the Privacy Commissioner in appropriate cases.

Making a complaint in relation to your privacy

If you think we may have breached your privacy in any way, or you wish to contact us in relation to a privacy matter, you should contact:

Privacy Officer

Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Board
PO Box 10655
The Terrace
Wellington 6140

To find out more about your privacy rights, visit the Privacy Commissioner’s website.