Council websites use ‘cookies’ to help personalise a user’s online experience. Cookies are small pieces of text data that a web server can store on, and later retrieve from, a user's computer. When you visit the Gunnedah Shire Councils website to read or download information, additional information about your use may be collected for statistical purposes. This information is used to maintain, secure and improve our website, and to enhance your experience when using it. The data collected may include: The Gunnedah Shire Council uses Google Analytics to provide insights into the behaviour and specifications of users using our website. Google Analytics collects:

• Your server's address.
• The name of the top level domain name e.g. gov, .com, .edu, .org, .au, .nz
• The type of browser you use.
• The date and time you accessed this site.
• The pages you accessed and the documents you downloaded.
• The previous Internet address from which you linked directly to this site.
• The Internet address to which you link directly from this site.

Google Analytics helps us to identify what parts of the site users find the most useful, what they are accessing the most and helps to improve the effectiveness of the website. Select information, such as total site views for the financial year, is included in our Annual Report to provide insights into public engagement with the website. This information is stored securely via Google. You can find their Terms of Service here.

Please note that we do not match any data collected with any personal information, which means website users browse our website anonymously. We do not attempt to identify individual users or their browsing activities except, in the unlikely event of an investigation, where a law enforcement agency may exercise a warrant to inspect the logs.