BowlsLink in Queensland – a statement from Bowls Australia

by Bowls Australia on December 21, 2021

Bowls Australia (BA) is aware of a Memo recently sent by Bowls Queensland’s (BQ) CEO Brett Wilkie to Queensland bowls clubs and districts regarding BA’s privacy policy and the handling of member data within BowlsLink. 

This BQ Memo contains untrue and misleading information and implies that BA has intentions to utilise members’ data in inappropriate ways, which BA explicitly refutes and denies. 

BowlsLink commenced in 2018 and is now in its third year of use across Bowls in Australia and it is important to note that during this time: 

  • BA has not received any correspondence or complaint regarding privacy or privacy-concerns in respect to the operations of BowlsLink. 
  • No Bowls member has ever received marketing material from a third party (or from BA, for that matter) as a result of having their contact information included in the BowlsLink membership database. 
  • No Bowls member’s private information or privacy has been compromised at any time. 

BA recognises that the data of individual members belongs to the individual members and that if provided to BA, it would be used for the administration of the sport and allow tracking of participation. BA appreciates that individuals should be able to opt-out of having data stored within BowlsLink (or any membership database), and advises that anyone who wishes to use BowlsLink ensures that members have been provided the ability to opt-out prior to supplying their members’ data to BA. 

The memo also references a privacy statement, which is linked to BQ’s website disclaimer information page. The BQ privacy policy is currently under review according to BQ’s website, however their most up to date version contains similar clauses to BA’s privacy policy regarding the release of information to third parties. 

For the last two years, BA has strenuously attempted to include BQ in the national whole-of-sport BowlsLink project, including the preparation of a deed of agreement that would prohibit BA or any other STA from using BQ’s data without BQ’s permission; however, this proposed agreement has not been executed. 

BA is currently awaiting a response from BQ regarding these matters and will keep stakeholders informed of any outcomes. 

If you have any specific BowlsLink queries or interest in joining the national system, please feel free to contact Kelvin Rodgers on (03) 9480 7110 or krodgers@bowls.com.au 

Neil Dalrymple
Chief Executive Officer
December 21, 2021