Code of Conduct

Please scroll down to accept these Rules & Discussion Group Etiquette & Privacy Policy guidelines.

Institute Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) is the peak association for infrastructure asset management and professionals who deliver public works and engineering services. With offices throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, we are committed to developing the capacity and capability within the sector and provide comprehensive educational programs, conferences, technical publications, and the chance to network and collaborate with peers both nationally and internationally.

1. Community Rules & Etiquette

Thank you for being part of our community. This is a great medium with which to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in an ongoing conversation. To ensure the best possible experience for all members, we have established some basic rules and guidelines for participation.

By joining and using the IPWEA community forums, you agree that you have read and will follow these community rules and guidelines.

Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with these community rules and guidelines. In order to preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, we reserve the right to suspend or terminate membership in this community for anyone who violate these rules.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding the community rules or guidelines, please contact our Member Services department via the link on this site. Technical questions on association management should directed to our helpdesk via .

1.1 The Rules
  • Don't challenge or attack others. The discussions and comments are meant to stimulate conversation not to create contention. Let others have their say, just as you may.
  • All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, harassing offensive, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited. Don’t post anything that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you.
  • Don't post commercial or advertising messages on any discussion list, resource library entry, or other area where others might see it. Where appropriate and relevant, contact people directly with product and service information if you believe it would help them.
  • Don’t send junk or 'spam' to people who would not wish to receive mail or messages from you.
  • Use caution when discussing products. Information posted on the lists and in the libraries is available for all to see, and comments may be subject to defamation, , consumer and antitrust laws.
  • Don’t falsify or delete any attributions or other proprietary designations of origin or source of any content posted to site.
  • Don’t post anything that infringes the copyright or intellectual property rights of others (this includes not posting anything that you’ve copied or that you don’t have the right to post).
  • Don’t display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, or use material posted by others for any commercial purpose.
  • Please note carefully and comply with all items listed in the disclaimer and legal rules below, particularly regarding the copyright ownership of information posted.
  • Remember that other participants have the right to reproduce postings to this site unless you specify otherwise.
  • Post your message or documents only to the most appropriate lists or libraries - understand the purpose of the community group and share accordingly. Do not spam several lists or libraries with the same message.

All messages must add to the body of knowledge. We reserve the right to reject any message for any reason.

1.2 Discussion Group Etiquette
  • Include a signature tag on all messages. Include your name, affiliation, location.
  • State concisely and clearly the topic of your comments in the subject line. This allows members to respond more appropriately to your posting and makes it easier for members to search the archives by subject.
  • Include only the relevant portions of the original message in your reply. Delete any header information and put your response before the original posting.
  • Only send a message to the entire list when it contains information that everyone can benefit from.
  • Send messages such as "thanks for the information" or "me, too" to individuals--not to the entire list. Do this by using the "Reply to Sender" link to the left of every message.
  • Do not send administrative messages, such as remove me from the list. Instead, use the web interface to change your settings or to remove yourself from a list. If you are changing e-mail addresses, you do not need to remove yourself from the list and re-join under your new e-mail address. Simply change your settings.
  • Warn other list subscribers of lengthy messages either in the subject line or at the beginning of the message body with a line that says, "Long Message."
1.3 The Legal Stuff

This site is provided as a service for the members of IPWEA.  IPWEA is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others.

Disclaimer of warranty

IPWEA and its directors, officers, employees, or agents make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or currency of information posted or available on its website, including information and material posted in the community forums. To the extent permitted by law, IPWEA disclaims all warranties of any kind (whether express or implied), regarding information posted on this site, including in the community forums, whether posted by IPWEA, member or any third party; this disclaimer includes, without limitation, all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness.

Disclaimer of liability

To the extent permitted by law, IPWEA will not be liable for any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site or community forums.

Copyright

Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the express permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the participant posting the material (posting party) warrants and represents that they have the copyright with respect to such material or have received permission from the copyright owner.

In addition, the posting party grants IPWEA and users of this site the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material

Prohibited Content – Price Fixing, Restrictions on trade etc

Messages should not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or impliedly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another's business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customers or suppliers.

IPWEA does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, if any inappropriate posting is brought to the attention of IPWEA we will take all appropriate action, up to and including terminating the access of a user who does not comply with these rules.

1.4 General

IPWEA may from time to time amend, update, or change the website, including these terms. Should IPWEA amend or update these terms you will be notified by cookie note.

If any provision of these terms are found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent possible and will be deemed deleted to the extent that it is not enforceable, and the remaining provisions of the terms shall remain in full force and effect.

IPWEA reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these rules or guidelines.

2. Privacy Policy

IPWEA is covered by the Privacy Act and collects and manages personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Personal information collected by IPWEA, either as a result of you visiting the website or by participants providing information directly to IPWEA is collected, stored and used in accordance with the IPWEA Privacy Policy. Please see the Privacy Policy below.

This privacy policy will explain how IPWEA (we or us) uses the personal data we collect from you when you use our website.

2.1 We respect your privacy

Any personal information you provide to us including and similar to your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address will not be disclosed, released, sold, or rented to any entities or individuals outside of our organisation except as noted below.

We are covered by the Privacy Act and take a proactive approach in managing personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

2.2 What personal information we collect

The services we provide require us to collect personal information about our customers and members, which may include the individual's name, email address, telephone number, employer, date of birth, financial details (such as credit card / banking details), and professional interest areas.

If you are a candidate seeking employment with us, we may also collect and hold information including your name, email address, contact telephone number, gender, age, employment history, references, resume, emergency contact, taxation details, qualifications, and payment details.

2.3 The purpose for which we collect and use personal information

We collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for our functions and activities in providing services and products to individuals and members.

Specific purposes for which we may collect, use, or disclose personal information include for the purposes of:

  • Supplying goods or services to, or acquiring good or services from, an individual or organisation;
  • Providing members with access to participant in IPWEA community forums
  • Training and events;
  • Business relationship management;
  • Considering an individual for a position (e.g. as an employee or contractor);
  • Mailing systems; and
  • Responding to an enquiry by an individual.
2.4 How we collect information

IPWEA may collect personal information from you when you:

  • Register to attend an event
  • Purchase a publication
  • Sign up for a web account
  • Become a member
  • Submit details on our website
  • Submit an application form
  • Email or phone us
  • Visit our website

You can always choose not to provide your personal details to IPWEA, but it may mean we are unable to provide you with the service.

2.5 Direct Marketing

We may use or disclose personal information (other than sensitive information) about you for the purpose of direct marketing (for example, advising you of new services being offered by IPWEA.

You can opt out of receiving direct marketing communications from us by contacting the admin@ipwea.org in writing or if permissible accessing our website and unsubscribing appropriately.

2.6 How information can be accessed and corrected

You may access your personal information at any time by logging into your personal account on our website at www.ipwea.org.

To ensure our information is accurate, we encourage you to login to your account and review your personal information.

You can update any incorrect information via your online account or alternatively by contacting us at admin@ipwea.org or on +61 1300 416 745.

If we hold personal information that is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, we must take steps as are reasonable to correct the information.

Any correction requests received will be processed within 5 working days, except in extraordinary circumstances.

2.7 How to complain

Should you have any complaints relating to our collection or use of your personal information you should contact us at admin@ipwea.org. We request that complaints be lodged via email for audit trail purposes and to ensure a prompt and transparent resolution process.

If you are unhappy with IPWEA’s response to your complaint, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

2.8 Where your information is stored

All our data, including personal and non-personal information is stored on our IPWEA Australasian servers. Our primary database is hosted on a server in Melbourne, Australia, and this is where the majority of your personal information will be stored. As we utilise cloud technology and our website providers are in the United States, your personal information may also be stored on a server in the United States.

By providing your personal information to IPWEA, you consent to IPWEA storing your personal information on our servers in Australia and the United States.

2.9 Integrity and Security of Personal Information

We will take such steps (if any) as are reasonable in the circumstances to ensure that the personal information that we:

  • collect is accurate, up-to-date, and complete; and
  • use or disclose is, having regard to the purpose of the use or disclose, accurate, up-to-date, and complete.

The security of personal information is important to us and will take steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to protect the personal information from misuse, interference, loss and form unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.

2.10 With Whom Do We Share the Personal Information We Collect

Our Service Providers. 

We may share your personal information with companies (including our affiliates such as IPWEA Australasia Limited and our related divisions) that perform services on our behalf, for example, companies that help process credit card payments, deliver our workshops, provide services on behalf of IPWEA and its divisions. Our service providers are required by contract to protect the confidentiality of the personal information we share with them and to use it only to provide specific services on our behalf.

Business Transfers.

Your personal information may be transferred to another entity (either an affiliated entity or an unrelated third party) in connection with a merger, reorganisation, dissolution, or similar corporate event. If such a transfer were ever to occur, the acquiring entity’s use of your personal information will still be subject to the IPWEA Privacy Policy.

Government and Legal Disclosures

We may disclose the personal information we collect through this site, when we, in good faith, believe disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law (or a court order or subpoena); to prevent or investigate a possible crime, such as fraud or identity theft; to enforce our Terms and Conditions or other agreements that govern your use of this site; or to protect the rights, property or safety of our Company, our users, or others.

Cross-Border Disclosures

Service providers and other entities with whom we may disclose your personal information may be located outside of Australia.

Other entities located outside Australia may include foreign IPWEA divisions or affiliates. While your personal information will be disclosed through the central IPWEA database, internal policies and procedures restrict foreign divisions from using, disclosing, extracting, or editing your personal information. Currently we have a foreign division in New Zealand and an affiliate in Canada.

Service providers located outside Australia are bound by confidentiality agreements and are not permitted to use, disclose, extract, or edit your personal information unless doing so in accordance with IPWEA related activities. We currently have service providers in Canada and the United States. These service providers are contracted to provide consultancy services to IPWEA.

2.11 External Sites.

We are not responsible for the content of external internet sites. You are advised to read the privacy policy of external sites before disclosing any personal information.

2.12 Cookies

A "cookie" is a small data text file that is placed in your browser and allows us to recognise you each time you visit this site (personalisation, etc.). Cookies themselves do not contain any personal information, and we do not use cookies to collect personal information. Cookies may also be used by 3rd party content providers such as newsfeeds.

2.13 Remember The Risks Whenever You Use The Internet

While we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information that you transmit to us, and you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of any passwords or other account information. In addition, other Internet sites or services that may be accessible through our site have separate data and privacy practices independent of us, and therefore we disclaim any responsibility or liability for their policies or actions. Please contact those vendors and others directly if you have any questions about their privacy policies.

For any other information please contact us using the Contact Us page.

We reserve the right to vary or replace the information contained in this disclosure or our Privacy Policy from time to time.