Terms and Conditions

Region Media expects and welcomes contributions that stimulate debate and discussion and we aim to provide balanced coverage of issues. While encouraging vigorous debate, we expect all participants to treat each other with respect and courtesy.

You may use, or register and contribute to Region Media’s Community subject to the following terms and conditions. These conditions apply to any content contributed in any format to any platforms hosted or facilitated by Region Media.

Editorial Direction, Contribution, Paid Content, Complaints, and Comment Moderation Policy 2019

At Region Media, we strive to promote debate by providing clear editorial direction, while encouraging the community to participate within the guidelines of our contribution and comment moderation policy. You can find our editorial standards here

Editorial direction

General

Region Media strives to provide balanced coverage in terms of news and opinion about the key events and developments that affect the lives of people in the Illawarra and surrounds.

News
Each news article should be balanced, factual and adhere to industry standards.

Opinion

In order to promote robust debate, balance in opinion coverage is maintained by the editorial team, engaging a range of contributors across the political spectrum. We aim to ensure that on any given topic, evenhanded publishing of a diverse range of views is delivered to our readers.

Comments and social media participation

Community participation in the debate is at the heart of Region Media and we deliver a high standard of comment and social media moderation. Our goal is to promote vibrant, intellectual, entertaining, and on-topic discussion while screening out anything that is abusive or defamatory.

To promote more lively conversation, we limit the length of comments on the site to a maximum of 300 words. Comments should make a meaningful contribution to the debate while adhering to our contribution and comment moderation policy.

Contribution and comment moderation policy

Region Media will not publish content that:

• infringes intellectual property rights or copyright
• is defamatory
• violates laws regarding harassment, discrimination, privacy or contempt
• is abusive or offensive, including obscenity, blasphemy and racial vilification
• is condescending
• promotes hatred of any kind
• attacks the writer not the argument
• is inflammatory or blatantly off-topic
• is intentionally false or misleading
• doesn’t make sense or is of nuisance value
• is inappropriate or vexatious
• could place the writer at risk.

Region Media reserves the right to reject contributions on topics that have already been widely canvassed in the forum. It also reserves the right to reject contributions from participants who seek to dominate the discussion.

We will also not publish material that:

• compromises the privacy of our readers, contributors or staff
• contains inappropriate personal information or content
• seeks to endorse commercial products or activities or to solicit business (with the exception of sponsored content, which is published by arrangement and clearly marked as paid material – see more details below)
• deliberately provokes other community members.

Repeated breaches of these guidelines will lead to suspension from the site. Posting on behalf of a suspended member may also lead to being blocked.

Region Media will continue to encourage its readers to submit articles for possible publication, but these must be published under the real name of the submitter except by arrangement with the editor in cases where the writer feels anonymity is necessary.

In certain cases, an article can also, by arrangement, be published under the name of a business or organisation.

Despite our best efforts, from time-to-time something may slip through the cracks. If you believe this has happened, please report the article or comment to us for a secondary review.

Paid Content Policy

Region Media produces a variety of content in partnership with outside parties. We have a number of commercial partners who receive the opportunity to commission feature articles, as well as an opportunity to supply us with their own contributed content. These sources of revenue allow us to fund our operation as an independent news media organisation.

The presentation of this content makes clear how the content has been commissioned and produced. One of two labels will appear on this content: ‘Partner Content’, or ‘Supplied Content’.

Partner Content is used to describe feature articles produced by our journalists as part of a Region Media partnership package. A Partner may have a role in suggesting what kind of topics are covered, but the editor is not obliged to accept ideas from the Partner. Before content is agreed with a Partner, relevant senior editors are consulted about its suitability and the Group Editor has the final say on whether a feature story goes ahead. The content is written and edited by Region Media journalists, or those approved by Region Media, to the same standards expected of all of our journalists.

Supplied Content is used to describe features that are paid for and produced by a Region Media Partner rather than Region Media.

Contributor patronage

Wherever a contributor has a current or prior relationship with the subject of a Region Media article or receives any form of patronage from them; this must be disclosed either in the content or at the conclusion of the article.

Region Complaints policy

Region Media’s editorial policies state our unwavering commitment to producing accurate, balanced and fair content, as well as the right-of-reply and a formal complaints handling process.

When a complaint is received, Region Media will seek to deal with it as quickly as possible. We aim to respond within 14 days of receipt of the complaint and to resolve the matters as swiftly as practicable, although some complex matters may take longer to resolve. Response to complaints will be determined by the seriousness of the matter, the likelihood of harm to a person or persons, the potential to mislead, the degree of risk to the public and the genuine risk to reputation.

Region Media is committed to respecting the confidentiality of complainants.

Complaints may be lodged with Region Media by letter to Region Media, 28 National Circuit, Forrest, ACT 2600 ATTN: Genevieve Jacobs, or via email to [email protected].

To meet the requirement of fairness to all parties in complaint handling, any staff who may be adversely affected by the outcome of the investigation must have the opportunity to be heard during the investigation and appropriately informed of the outcome.

Region Media reserves the right to determine, implement and record any remedy arising from a complaint investigation.

Region Media may choose not to continue dealing with a complaint when the complaint does not refer to a specific item of Region content; when the complaint concerns content which is or becomes the subject of legal proceedings; where the complainant does not have a sufficient interest in the subject matter of the complaint, or where the complaint is frivolous or vexatious or not made in good faith. In such cases Region Media reserves the right to terminate all correspondence. The complainant will be advised of this decision in writing.

A complaint is resolved when Region Media has taken all fair and reasonable steps to address the cause of the complaint. Responses to a complaint of substance will be finalised with the complainant in written form.

Where a complainant is not satisfied with the resolution process, Region Media will advise the complainant of the option to refer the matter to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Terms of Use

1. General
1.1 By visiting, registering or using this site in any way you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. These terms and conditions of use may be changed at any time the sole discretion of Region Media.

1.2 Any content that you read on Region Media is solely the opinion of those registered users who express them, whether they be informed or otherwise. No material on this site contributed by third parties or linked to for the purposes of discussion is considered the views of or endorsed by Region Media, its officers or directors. You should conduct your own research before relying on any opinion expressed on this site. Any content that you contribute to this site is your opinion only.

1.3 You may be held legally responsible for the content you submit to Region Media’s discussion forums.

1.4 Region Media will determine, at its discretion, whether to edit, publish (or remove from a site) any of your content. In particular, material if Region Media (in our editor’s opinion and our opinion only) considers to be:

• 1.4.1 defamatory, or otherwise unlawful or that it violates laws regarding harassment, discrimination, privacy or contempt; –
• 1.4.2 intentionally false or misleading;
• 1.4.3 an infringement of intellectual property rights or copyright. See below for further information on copyright;
• 1.4.4 abusive or offensive, including obscenity, blasphemy and racial vilification;
• 1.4.5 of nuisance value, inflammatory, inappropriate, off topic or vexatious. For example Region Media reserves the right to reject contributions that have been widely canvassed in the forum. It also reserves the right to reject contributions from participants who seek to dominate the discussion;
• 1.4.6 compromising the privacy of yourself, other contributors or of Region Media staff, or containing inappropriate personal information;
• 1.4.7 seeking to endorse commercial products or activities or to solicit business;
• 1.4.8 deliberate provocation of other community members;
• 1.4.9 a posting on behalf of a suspended member. This may lead to you also having your membership locked.

1.5 You acknowledge that Region Media may use all intellectual property rights in your content throughout the world, in perpetuity, without restriction and without making payment to you, including publication of that material in hard copy publications or in electronic media, using your content in training, advertising or promotional material for Region Media and permitting others to do any of these, including when Region Media and others receive payment for this.

1.6. You warrant that:

• 1.6.1 you own your content and all rights in relation to your content;
• 1.6.2 you obtained your content in a manner which does not breach any laws or the rights of any person;
• 1.6.3 your content is accurate and reflects actual people and events and you did not digitally alter images or footage in any way to create your content or impersonate any person or entity or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
• 1.6.4 your content, your provision of your content to Region Media and the use by Region Media of your content, in each case as contemplated in these terms and conditions, does not breach any law (including laws relating to privacy, intellectual property, and defamation) or the rights of any person;
• 1.6.5 your content, at the time you send it to Region Media contains no virus or other code or material embedded in it which will have a negative impact on Region Media’s services or infrastructure;
• 1.6.6 your content is not being provided for a commercial purpose (including that you are not soliciting funds, have not accepted payment for promotion, or are promoting particular goods or services in which you have a vested commercial interest); and
• 1.6.7 you did not forge any TCP/IP packet header or any part of the header information in any email or SMS.

1.7 Repeated breaches of these Conditions of Use may cause the Region Media to complain to the Internet Service Provider of the person responsible, and in very serious cases, initiate legal action.

1.8. On submitting any comment or content to Region Media for publication in any media, you indemnify Region Media Holdings Pty Ltd and its officers, employees, and agents against any damage or loss made against or suffered by any of those indemnified arising, in whole or in part, as a result of:

• 1.8.1 the publication by Region Media or a person permitted by Region Media of your content; or
• 1.8.2 a breach by you of these terms and conditions.

1.9 Region Media may use your email address to contact you from time to time.

2. Copyright

2.1 Material published on the internet is protected by the same laws of copyright which apply to books, videos, and music.

2.2 The right to “copy” always remains with the owner of the material. Unless expressly stated otherwise, you are not permitted to copy or republish anything you find on the internet without the copyright owner’s permission.

2.3 If you wish to refer to material on someone else’s website we recommend you include an attribution in your message. Region Media allows links to other websites at its sole discretion.

2.4 Under Australian copyright law, limited quotation is permissible in the context of genuine review and criticism. However, this does not permit extensive quoting of song lyrics etc.

Note: You are welcome to quote content from Region Media within your contributions, however, we ask that you attribute the URL of the Region Media page where you found the quote or picture or sound.

2.5 When you submit content, in any format, you acknowledge that you have all necessary rights, including copyright, in the material that you are contributing to Region Media. You agree that Region Media may use the material online and in whatever other ways Region Media chooses, now and in the future.

3. Comments and Complaints

3.1 Complaints or comments about the content and management of particular interactive features can be made via the Contact Us page.

4. Registration and Login Names

4.1 Region Media may refuse registration of visitors whose suggested login names are considered inappropriate. Grounds for refusal may include:

• 4.1.1 offensive content;
• 4.1.2 obscenity;
• 4.1.3 abuse;
• 4.1.4 defamatory content;
• 4.1.5 contempt;
• 4.1.6 incitement;
• 4.1.7 copyright infringement;
• 4.1.8 brand names or registered trademarks;
• 4.1.9 company or organisation names;
• 4.1.10 names of high-profile or public figures; or
• 4.1.11 names promoting political, religious, social or economic issues.

4.2 Region Media reserves the right to refuse suggested login names at its sole discretion.

4.3 Region Media will not accept any registration that the company suspects is being made by or on behalf of a member who has been suspended for repeated violation of these conditions of use.

4.4 Repeated breaches of these Conditions of Use may cause Region Media to lock and/or delete member registrations.

5. Event Calendar

5.1 When you submit an event you must include a contact point such as an email address or a phone number that will be published with the event details. This is to provide the public with a source of further information and Region Media with a way of confirming listing details. Events submitted without a genuine contact email address or phone number will not be published.

5.2 Region Media reserves the right to publish or delete items in event calendar at its sole discretion.

Privacy Policy

What this Privacy Policy Covers

This Privacy Policy covers Region Media’s treatment of personally identifiable information that Region Media collects when you are on our sites, and when you use our services. This policy also covers Region Media’s treatment of any personally identifiable information that Region Media’s business partners share with Region Media or that Region Media may collect on a partner’s site.

This policy does not apply to the practices of companies that Region Media does not own or control, or to people that Region Media does not employ or manage.

Information Collection and Use

Region Media collects personally identifiable information when you register for a Region Media account, when you use certain Region Media products or services, and when you enter promotions. Region Media may also receive personally identifiable information from our business partners.

When you register with Region Media, we ask for your email address, Age range, gender, and other data. Once you register with Region Media and sign into our services, you are not anonymous to us.

Region Media also automatically receives and records information on our server logs from your browser including your IP Address, Region Media cookie information, and the page you requested.

Region Media may use this information for three general purposes: to customise the advertising and content you see on our pages, to fulfill your requests for certain products and services, and to contact you about specials and new products.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

Region media will only send personally identifiable information about you to other companies or people when:
We have your consent to share the information;
We need to share your information in order to provide the product or service you have requested;
We need to send the information to companies that work on behalf of Region Media to provide a product or service to you. (Unless we tell you differently, these companies do not have any right to use the personally identifiable information we provide to them beyond what is necessary to assist us.);
We respond to subpoenas, court orders or legal process; or
We find that your actions on our web sites violate the Region Media usage guidelines.

Cookies

Region Media may set and access Region Media cookies on your computer.

Region Media may allow other companies that are presenting advertisements on some of our pages to set and access their cookies on your computer. The way other companies use their cookies is subject to their own privacy policies, not this one.

Your Ability to Edit and Delete Your Account Information and Preferences

Region Media gives you the ability to edit your Region Media Account information and preferences at any time. Note that anything you write in the ‘About You’ section will be displayed on your public profile page (by clicking on your name in any post or comment).

To delete your account, and to remove all your saved account information visit the delete account section of your profile page and follow the prompts. You can also contact us via our online form. Please include your current username and or registered email account as a reference.

Security

Your Region Media Account Information is password-protected for your privacy and security. In certain areas, Region Media uses industry-standard SSL-encryption to protect data transmissions.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Region Media may edit this policy from time to time. If we make any substantial changes we will notify you by posting a prominent announcement on our pages.

Region Media treats your use of this website as your acceptance of the Region Media Privacy Statement and the terms and conditions of use.

Questions or Suggestions

If you have questions or suggestions please Contact us

This page was last updated: 15/03/2023.