A NSW Government website

I Spy Koala app – Privacy policy

The I Spy Koala app enables the community to record koala observation and survey data, which then flows directly into BioNet, the corporate biodiversity data repository for New South Wales.

 

I Spy Koala app was developed in 2019 by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for the collection of koala observation and survey data.

This app is part of a pilot designed to improve the flow of koala observation data to NSW planning and decisions tools. All data submitted via the app is made available by the department through BioNet, New South Wales's corporate biodiversity data repository. From there, data is accessible to researchers, land managers, planners, consultants, government and the public via BioNet webpages and associated data services.

Once your I Spy Koala data is submitted it will be available in BioNet within approximately one month. Your data will then be combined with other BioNet koala observations and published to the Sharing and Enabling Environmental Data (SEED) data portal, where you can conveniently view the interactive Koala sightings – BioNet map(link is external).

Koala data helps inform environmental managers, land managers and the community about koala numbers, distribution and habitat, and assists the implementation of long-term conservation strategies to secure healthy koala populations in the wild.

Visit I Spy Koala to learn more

How to access the app

The app is available for download for Apple and Android devices from either:

Terms and conditions

To sign up to I Spy Koala, you will need to agree to the following terms and conditions.

Privacy policy

Last modified on 19 October 2020.

The purpose of this policy is to tell you what kind of personal information that the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water may collect from you when you use the BioSys, BioNet Atlas, BioNet Vegetation Classification, BioNet APIs and I Spy Koala applications (collectively the app), how we may use that information, whether we disclose it to anyone and how you can access the information.

This privacy policy only concerns personal information collected by the department. The I Spy Koala application is distributed through Google Play and the App Store. By using this application, you may also provide personal information directly to Google or Apple. Depending on your preferred smartphone system, we recommend that you examine the privacy policy of your Android or Apple device and Terms of Service of Google Play and the App Store.

Privacy enquiries

For more information about privacy at the department, please contact:

GIPA & Privacy Unit

Locked Bag 5022
Parramatta NSW 2124

Phone: 02 9860 1440

Email: privacy@dpie.nsw.gov.au

You can also find privacy information at Policies and protocols(link is external).