Our commitment to your privacy
Western Power is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals whose personal information we collect, use, store, hold and share. This commitment is reflected not only in our policies, but also in our Code of Conduct and organisational values, which require all employees to act with integrity, respect confidentiality, and handle information responsibly in everything we do.
We recognise the importance you place on your privacy and are committed to handling your personal information lawfully, fairly and responsibly in accordance with the Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA) (PRIS Act) and the associated Information Privacy Principles (IPPs).
Western Power’s Privacy Policy covers the collection, storage, use, disclosure and security of personal information. It explains how and when we collect personal information, what that information is used for, who uses it, and when it may be disclosed to other parties.
Privacy Policy
Personal information is information or an opinion, whether true or not, and whether recorded in material form or not, that relates to an individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information or opinion.
Depending on the nature of your interaction with Western Power, the personal information we may collect includes:
- contact and identifying information (such as name, address and contact details);
- electricity network, metering and usage information, including identifiers used to manage connections and metering (such as National Metering Numbers (NMIs));
- property, land access and asset information;
- claims, incident or safety‑related information;
- employment or recruitment information; and
- images or footage captured by security systems.
What is sensitive personal information
Sensitive personal information is a special subset of personal information that receives a higher level of privacy protection. The types of sensitive personal information are set out in the PRIS Act and, relevantly, include health information.
Western Power collects, uses, stores and discloses sensitive personal information only where it is necessary, including for the management of your health, safety, security and wellbeing, or to meet our obligations under applicable laws or Western Power policies and procedures.
Why we collect information
We only collect personal information where the information is necessary for one or more of our functions or activities and, where it is sensitive personal information, with your consent or where otherwise authorised or required by law.
We collect use, store and disclose personal information to allow us to conduct our functions and deliver our services, including:
- operating, managing and maintaining the electricity network;
- communicating with customers and stakeholders about outages, works and safety issues;
- managing land access, easements, infrastructure works and associated claims;
- responding to enquiries, complaints and disputes;
- supporting customers with life support, medical or vulnerability needs;
- planning, service disruptions, analysis, risk management and service improvement;
- research purposes, to identify and respond to customer feedback and improve the customer experience and to promote Western Power services generally;
- compliance with legal, regulatory, licence and reporting obligations;
- employment, recruitment and contractor management; or
- security, integrity and risk management.
How we collect personal information
Western Power collects personal information directly from individuals where practicable, including when individuals:
- contact us by phone, email, post or online;
- engage with us in the community;
- use our websites, portals or mobile applications;
- report faults, outages or safety issues;
- lodge enquiries, complaints or claims;
- attend Western Power premises or worksites;
- liaise with Western Power employees and contractors on site regarding access and property matters related to the network;
- register for project updates related to Western Power works; or
- apply for employment or contract opportunities.
We may also collect personal information from third parties where permitted or required by law, including from electricity retailers, government agencies, emergency services, contractors, witnesses, employees, customers and authorised representatives.
Calls logged with Western Power’s Call Centre are recorded for training, safety, record keeping purposes and applicable laws.
How we use and disclose personal information
Western Power may use and disclose personal information for the particular (primary) purposes for which we collected the information. These purposes will be described in the relevant privacy collection notice. We may also use and disclose personal information for other (secondary) purposes with your consent, where you would expect us to given the link to the primary purpose, or where otherwise authorised or required by law.
Western Power may disclose personal information to the following types of recipients, where appropriate for the primary or secondary purpose:
- to authorised employees for the performance of our relevant functions or services;
- contractors, consultants and contracted service providers engaged by customers or Western Power to support its operations, including information technology, data hosting, analytics, customer services, and network management;
- other Western Australian Government agencies, government trading enterprises, or public sector bodies, where disclosure is necessary for coordination of government functions, regulatory compliance, or public safety;
- the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and electricity retailers, where disclosure is required to maintain secure system operation and administer the wholesale electricity market;
- law enforcement agencies, regulators, courts or tribunals or other interested parties where disclosure is required or authorised by law or is reasonably necessary to determine liability, assist with investigations, enforcement or legal proceedings;
- emergency services and other relevant authorities where disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to life, health, safety or public infrastructure; and
- any other person or entity with the individual’s consent, or where otherwise permitted or required by law.
Where it is possible to engage with you without identifying you, we will provide you with that option. However, due to Western Power’s role as WA’s electricity network operator, individuals are generally not able to interact with us anonymously or using a pseudonym. To ensure the safe, secure and reliable operation of the network, and to protect customers, workers and the community, Western Power requires individuals to provide identifying information where it is reasonably necessary to deliver services, manage network access, and meet legal and regulatory obligations.
Where we de-identify personal information, the information is no longer considered personal information under the PRIS Act. However, we continue to take reasonable steps to protect that de-identified information from misuse and loss and from unauthorised re-identification, access, modification or disclosure. We will not disclose that de-identified information to a recipient overseas unless the recipient has undertaken to take similar steps and to refrain from re-identifying or further disclosing the information.
Western Power may engage service providers or use systems that involve the handling of personal information outside Australia. Western Power will only disclose or share personal information outside Australia where:
- Western Power believes, on reasonable grounds, that the recipient is subject to privacy laws that are substantially similar to the IPPs;
- a contract is in place with the recipient that effectively upholds information handling principles equivalent to those contained in the IPPs;
- the individual has consented to the disclosure;
- it is necessary for us to do so to provide a service or perform a contract that we have with you, for steps required prior to that contract at your request, or for us to fulfil a contract with a third party where doing so is in your interests;
- the disclosure is required or authorised by or under law;
- we have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the information will not be held, used or disclosed by the recipient inconsistently with the IPPs; or
- another permitted situation exists under the IPPs.
Western Power will take reasonable steps to:
- protect personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure; and
- securely store and protect personal information throughout its lifecycle;
- retain personal information only as required for a purpose permitted under this Policy or as otherwise required or authorised by law; and
- ensure it is securely destroyed or permanently de‑identified, subject to our presiding obligations under the State Records Act (WA), and other legal requirements.
Western Power takes reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information it uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up to date, having regard to the purpose for which it is used.
Western Power may use automated or algorithmic systems that involve the use of personal information to support certain operational activities, including network management and service prioritisation.
Where an automated decision‑making process is used to make a significant decision about an individual, Western Power will take reasonable steps to:
- notify the individual that an automated decision‑making process has been used in making the decision;
- on request, provide the individual with information about how the automated decision‑making process is used in making decisions; and
- provide a process by which the individual may request human intervention in relation to the decision.
Western Power uses monitoring and surveillance technologies, including CCTV, remotely piloted aircraft systems, telematics and other automated tools, to support safety, security, asset management, infrastructure monitoring and compliance with legal obligations and Western Power policies and procedures.
These technologies may incidentally capture personal information. Where this occurs, the information is handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.
Individuals may request access to, or correction of, their personal information held by Western Power.
Where you have provided personal information to us, we will generally provide access to that information on request. If the information is out of date or incorrect, we will assist you to have it corrected. These requests are typically managed as part of our administrative processes; however, in some circumstances they may be handled under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA), depending on the nature of the request.
In some cases, Western Power may not be the original source or system owner of certain information (for example, customer account or contact details held by electricity retailers). Where this occurs, we may direct you to the relevant retailer or organisation to update or correct that information.
There are limited circumstances where access or correction may be refused or restricted, including where:
- providing access would unreasonably impact the privacy of another individual; or
- access or correction is restricted or authorised to be withheld under law.
- Western Power may require proof of identity before processing a request and will respond within a reasonable timeframe.
Western Power maintains internal governance arrangements, policies and training to support compliance with privacy and responsible information‑sharing obligations, and to promote a culture of accountability for information handling.
Western Power may update this Privacy Policy over time as we evolve how we handle personal information to align with community expectations, privacy law and best practices. The current version will be published on the Western Power website, which we encourage you to check from time to time.
Collection notices explain how your personal information will be handled when you provide it to us.
Collection notices are provided to you before you submit personal information and are located on the landing pages for Products & Services, Issues & Enquiries, Resources & Education, Requests & Preferences, Power Training Services, Request Outage Information, Claims & Complaints, Contact us, LetsTalkPower, and MyWP Contact Us.
Individuals may lodge a complaint if they believe Western Power has mishandled personal information or breached this Privacy Policy or applicable law. More information about how we handle complaints can be found on the complaints page on our website, or by writing or emailing us using the contact details below.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, its application to your circumstances, or Western Power's treatment of your personal information, you can contact us using the details below.
Attn: Privacy Officer, Western Power
Email: privacy@westernpower.com.au
Post: 363 Wellington Street, Perth WA 6000
Website & digital interactions
When you visit Western Power websites or use our digital services, our servers automatically collect certain technical information for security, statistical, operational and administrative purposes.
This information may include:
- the type of browser and operating system used;
- your Internet Service Provider (ISP);
- your device’s Internet Protocol (IP) address;
- your top‑level domain name (for example, .com, .gov, .au); and
- the address of any referring website.
This information is used to help us operate and improve our websites and digital services, monitor system performance and security, diagnose technical issues, analyse usage patterns and meet legal or regulatory obligations.
Server log information is handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy where it constitutes personal information and is not used to identify individuals, except where required for security, investigation or other lawful purposes.
When you download and use a Western Power mobile telephone or tablet application, we may in the download process obtain and log some personal information of yours (such as first and last name, email, suburb/postcode, Facebook user ID) that may be used for the purposes of interacting with the application, as well as for statistical and administration purposes. Again, where this occurs, we handle that personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
A 'cookie' is a packet of information that allows the Western Power server (the computer that stores our website) to identify and interact more effectively with your computer.
When you access our website, we send your computer a cookie that gives you a unique identification number. Each time you use our website a different identification number is sent. The cookie that Western Power sends you will reside on your computer for one year.
Cookies do not identify you personally or individually, but they do identify your Internet browser type and Internet Service Provider (ISP).
The cookie we send to your computer allows you to page forwards and backwards and go back to other pages you have already visited on our site without having to log onto our home page again. Cookies also enable us to keep track of which pages are most and least frequently visited by our customers. This information helps us to update our website and ensure it best meets our customers' needs.
We use Google Analytics to collect information about how people use our website. The information we obtain from Google Analytics helps us understand how we can offer a better customer experience.
Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about which pages you visit, how long you are on the site, how you got there (for example from a search engine, a link, an advertisement etc) and what you select. Information collected by the cookies (including your IP address) is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States of America.
By using our website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner described in Google's Privacy Policy and for the purposes set out above. You can opt out of Google Analytics if you disable or refuse the cookie, disable JavaScript, or use the opt-out service provided by Google.
This section of our Privacy Policy explains the details of how Hotjar collects information from your browser and device when you access westernpower.com.au. For the purposes of the services that Hotjar provides to Western Power, Hotjar acts as data processor and solely processes all personal data in accordance with the instructions received from Western Power, the owner and/or operator of the westernpower.com.au. This includes how Hotjar collects information from the end user's browser and device when an end user accesses westernpower.com.au.
The following information may be collected related to your device and browser:
- device's IP address (captured and stored in an anonymized format)
- device screen resolution
- device type (unique device identifiers), operating system, and browser type
- geographic location (country only)
- preferred language used to display the westernpower.com.au.
User interactions
- Mouse events (movements, location and clicks)
- Keypresses
Log data
For a sampling of visitors, Hotjar servers automatically record information which is collected from this site. This data includes:
- referring domain
- pages visited
- geographic location (country only)
- preferred language used to display the webpage
- date and time when website pages were accessed.
Hotjar Cookies
Hotjar Enabled Sites use cookies to collect non-personal information including standard internet log information and details of the end user's behavioural patterns upon visiting a Hotjar Enabled Site. This is done to enable the Hotjar Enabled Site to provide you with a better experience, identify preferences, diagnose technical problems, analyse trends and generally to help improve our website.
Cookies are small data files transferred onto computers or devices by websites for record-keeping purposes and to enhance functionality on the Hotjar Enabled Site.
We may also use cookies to record login details on Your device or computer. This helps to determine whether a particular device previously visited a specific Hotjar Enabled Site so that the login details would not have to be re-entered each time You visit that Hotjar Enabled Site.
Hotjar also uses cookies to determine if someone has opted out of being tracked by Hotjar services.
Most browsers allow You to choose whether to accept cookies or not. If you do not wish to have cookies placed on your computer, please set Your browser preferences to reject all cookies, before accessing any Hotjar Enabled Site. Please note that by doing so, some features of certain Hotjar Enabled Sites may become unavailable.
To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit allaboutcookies.org.
For more info about the cookies we make use of, please visit Cookie Information.
Hotjar, at all times, undertakes to ensure that by sharing your behavioural patterns and any other information generated from you visiting the westernpower.com.au, your privacy rights are respected at all times.
You may opt-out from having Hotjar collect your information when visiting a website at any time by visiting the Hotjar Opt-out page and clicking 'Disable Hotjar'.
We use Microsoft Clarity to collect and analyse information about how users interact with our website to improve functionality and user experience. This includes information such as pages visited, clicks, scrolling behaviour and session interactions. Microsoft Clarity may collect technical information about your device and browser, including your IP address (which is de-identified), device type, operating system, browser type and approximate geographic location. This information is collected using cookies and similar technologies and is used for analytical and website optimisation purposes only. It does not identify you personally. Further information about how Microsoft collects and processes personal information is available in the Microsoft Privacy Statement.
We collect and store the words and phrases entered into our site's search engine so that we know what information people are looking for. This helps us improve our website and make sure it provides the information you need. Please note that these search words are not associated with personal information of any kind.
We use third party webspaces for interactive information sharing and to connect with customers. Examples include Facebook, X and LinkedIn.
We recommend you read any terms and conditions and privacy statements or policies that apply to any third-party web service (especially the terms and conditions relating to the handling of personal information) when using these social media platforms to interact with us. Third-party privacy statements and conditions will prevail over this Privacy Policy to the extent of any inconsistency.
We recommend that you do not use a public-facing social media channel, such as Facebook, to provide us with your personal information or disclose that personal information in any query or issue raised through that forum. This is necessary in protecting your privacy and preventing identity theft.
In addition, our website uses Facebook Pixels to tailor content specifically for you within Facebook and measure the success of campaigns. Facebook pixels use cookies, JavaScript code, web beacons and similar technologies to gather information. No personally identifiable information is shared with us by Facebook. The information will be transmitted to and stored by Facebook on servers in the United States. You can choose to opt out from tailored content through your Facebook settings.
Some sections of our website have links to other websites. Although we are careful to review these sites before providing a link, Western Power is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites, which is outside our control. We recommend that you review the privacy policies available on those websites before choosing to disclose any personal information through them.