Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Planning Alerts is an independent service that aggregates publicly available planning and development application information from Australian council portals and delivers free email alerts to subscribers. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect any personal information you provide to us when using our website and email alert service.

2. Information we collect

We collect only the minimum information necessary to provide the Service:

• Email address — collected when you subscribe to alerts or create an account. Used solely to send you planning alert emails and service notifications.
• Location data — the suburb, address, or geographic area you nominate when setting up a subscription. Used to match relevant planning applications to your chosen area.
• Comments — if you submit a comment on a planning application through our Service, that content is stored and may be displayed publicly.
• Usage data — we may collect standard server log data (IP addresses, browser type, pages visited) for security and performance monitoring. This data is not linked to your identity.

3. How we use your information

We use your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected:

• To send you email alerts about planning applications in your nominated area.
• To manage your account and subscriptions.
• To respond to support requests or enquiries.
• To improve the reliability and performance of the Service.

We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, or any purpose beyond delivering the Service.

4. Sharing of information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. We may share information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating the Service (for example, email delivery services or cloud hosting providers), but only to the extent necessary and under contractual obligations to keep that information confidential. We may also disclose information where required by law or to protect our legal rights.

5. Data retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account or subscription remains active. If you unsubscribe from all alerts and request deletion of your account, we will delete your personal information from our systems within 30 days, except where we are required by law to retain it for a longer period.

6. Cookies and tracking

Our website uses only essential cookies required for the website to function correctly (for example, to maintain your signed-in session). We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or analytics services that share your data with third parties. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some features of the Service may not work as expected.

7. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encrypted connections (HTTPS), secure password storage, and restricted access to production systems. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of any inaccurate information.
• Request deletion of your personal information.
• Unsubscribe from email alerts at any time using the link in any alert email.
• Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if you believe your privacy rights have been breached.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through the Service.

9. Children's privacy

The Service is intended for general audiences and is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us through the Service. You may also review our Terms of Use for more information about your rights and obligations when using Planning Alerts.