Privacy Policy

We, New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB or we, us, our), take our obligations regarding personal information seriously. 

This privacy policy sets out how we handle your personal information in accordance with relevant laws, including the Privacy Act 2020 (the Act). 

Personal information is any information about an individual that allows an individual to be identified. 

This policy applies to all individuals who deal with us and provide us with personal information and you agree to be bound by this policy. We encourage you to read this policy carefully and contact our Privacy Officer if you have any questions or concerns. 

What information do we collect? 

We may collect a range of information from different people, including when you use our website. We may collect and hold personal information about: 

• current, prospective and former meat exporters (or their employees and contractors); 
• suppliers (and their employees and contractors); and 
• other people who deal with us from time to time. 

Exporters

If you are a current or prospective meat exporter, we may collect: 

• identifying information about you (or your employees and contractors), such as your  name, address and contact details;  
• information you provide to help us assist you with any export registration application and allocation of quota; and 
• information about your transactions with us and other information you send us, such as any questions you have. 

Other 

We may collect other personal information from time to time. We will only collect information where needed for us to deliver our services or where required by law. 

The personal information that we collect from you is held in accordance with the Act (in particular, the Privacy Principles contained in the Act). 

Providing the above information is generally optional for you. However, if you do not provide information to us when requested, we may not be able to provide services to you. 

How do we collect your information? 

We may collect the personal information you provide us in a variety of ways. We will generally collect personal information from you directly, including through the following means:

• while providing any of our services to you; 
• during your interactions and correspondence with us; 
• when you use our website (including via website registration or contact forms); and 
• when you first commence a business or service relationship with us, including in relation to any export registration application. 

We may also collect your personal information from third parties where you have authorised this, this is permitted by law, or where the information is publicly available. This may include information from: 

• a contractor or other third party helping to provide services to you; and
• suppliers of services to us (e.g. recruitment firms). 

If you have provided us with information about another person, you must have that person’s permission to do so. As part of this you need to comply with your obligations under the Act.  For example, you may need to tell that other person that you have done so, that they have a right to access their information and that we will handle their personal information in accordance with this policy. 

How do we use your information? 

We may use the personal information we collect from you for a number of purposes connected with our business and statutory functions. These include the following.  

General 

In general we may use your personal information to interact and communicate with you (including to provide you with services), to deal with your requests, enquiries or complaints, to comply with our legal obligations and as otherwise required or allowed by law. 

Exporter 

If you are a current or prospective meat exporter, we may use your personal information:

• to verify your identity and application details; 
• to process your application to be registered as a meat exporter, and for purposes connected with your export registration application; 
• to provide you with, or facilitate the provision of services, including quota allocation;
• to maintain and administer our records; 
• to provide you with updates relevant to you or the services we provide to you; and
• as otherwise required or allowed by law. 

Who can we share your information with? 

We want you to know that any information you supply to us may be shared with and used by the following, where relevant to them: 

• our employees, contractors, suppliers and agents; 
• other third parties who help provide services;
• our advisors; 
• a business that supports our services and products (e.g. a business that hosts or maintains our IT system, data centre or website); 
• government ministries or authorities or industry-good organisation; 
• any court, tribunal or regulatory authority where disclosure is required or allowed by law; and 
• any other person authorised by you or by law. 

We will not share your information with third parties, except as outlined in this policy, or where  you have authorised that disclosure. We will never sell your personal information to third parties. 

Your information may be hosted with a third party service provider. We seek in our agreements with them to prohibit the information that we collect from you being used by them in a way that we have not authorised. 

How do we store and protect your information? 

We care about the security of your personal information and will take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, misuse, interference or loss. We cannot promise your personal information will be completely free from access by an unauthorised person (e.g. a hacker). However, we use reasonable safeguards to minimise the risk of this occurring. 

If a privacy breach occurs which has caused or may cause serious harm to you, we will notify you of this as soon as practicable either directly or, if that is not reasonably practicable, by public notice. 

How do we keep your information accurate and up to date? 

Aside from some circumstances set out in the Act, you have a right to access and correct the personal information we hold about you. To do so, please email our Privacy Officer at the following email address cros.spooner@nzmeatboard.org. 

In some cases, there may be a charge associated with providing copies of your personal information to you. If so, we will let you know before sending your information to you. 

What else do I need to know? 

We may change this policy at any time and notify you by posting an updated version of the policy on our website. Any change applies from the date we post it on our website. 

Updated February 2025