Hobbs + Associates adopts the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) which governs the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure and dispose of personal information.

The Privacy Policy of Hobbs + Associates (G A Hobbs & Associates Pty Ltd) states how we will use and protect private information that is disclosed and collected: a) when the hobbs.com.au website is accessed, and b) when marketing and delivering services, which includes responding to enquiries about and submitting proposals for our services.

WHAT IS PERSONAL INFORMATION AND WHY DO WE COLLECT IT?
Personal information is defined as information or an opinion that identifies an individual. Examples of personal information include name, email address, phone number, job title, professional registration and business registration.

Personal information may be obtained or disclosed in many ways including discussions and correspondence whether face-to-face or by telephone or email, through our website hobbs.com.au, from your website or other websites, from media and publications, from other project participants and portals, from other public sources, and from other third parties.

We collect personal information for the primary purpose of providing our services, responding to enquiries, submitting proposals and for marketing. We may also use personal information for secondary purposes closely related to the primary purpose, in circumstances where it could be implied that you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure.

When we collect personal information we will, upon request, explain the purpose of collecting the information and its intended use.

WEBSITE: NON-PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE DATA
When the website hobbs.com.au is visited, non-personally identifiable information is collected and stored in server logs, including but not limited to browser type, IP address, operating system, the date and time of visits, the pages visited on the site, time spent viewing the site, and return visits to the site. The Google Analytics service also records non-personally identifiable data such as browser type, operating system, the date and time of a visit, where visitors came from, the pages visited on this website, the time spent viewing site, where visitors went when they left the site, and return visits to the site. Cookies are not knowingly used by us on the website for these purposes.

WEBSITE: PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE DATA
Content on hobbs.com.au can be accessed without providing personal information. However, if you choose to subscribe to our newsletter you are required to submit personally identifiable information in the form of an email address. Submission of an email address does not necessarily result in retention or use of that address by us. You may unsubscribe and have your email address removed from the newsletter email list by contacting us in writing, such as by email, or by using an unsubscribe link in a newsletter email.

SERVICES, ENQUIRIES AND PROPOSALS: COLLECTION OF PERSONAL AND PROJECT INFORMATION
In order to provide services, proposals for services, or to respond to enquiries, we will request, gather and record personal and project information. In the course of the services and enquiries, we will also receive from you information which you disclose to us without our request. In each such case, we will usually be receiving the information directly from you and we expect that you will be aware of the nature and extent of the private information you have provided and that you have consented to such collection.

THIRD PARTIES
Where reasonable and practicable to do so, we collect and receive personal information directly from you. In some circumstances we may be provided with information by third parties, in which case we will take reasonable steps to make you aware of the information provided to us by a third party. For the purposes of receiving personal information, we do not consider third parties to include other personnel employed by, or owners of, or the website of, the office or business where you are employed, or which you own.

SENSITIVE INFORMATION
We do not request or intentionally gather or record sensitive information in order to deliver or perform our services or to respond to enquiries. (Sensitive information is defined in the Privacy Act to include information or opinion about such things as an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record or health information.)

DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
Personal information may be disclosed in a number of circumstances including the following:
– To third parties where you consent to the use or disclosure – including implied consent;
– To participants on projects in which you are involved and for which project we have been engaged to provide services; and
– Where required or authorised by law.

SECURITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
We provide suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure personal and project information that we obtain. Personal and project information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorized access, modification or disclosure.

When personal information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information. However, most of the personal information is or will be stored by us for a minimum of 7 years which, for engagements, is counted from completion of the services of the engagement.

ACCESS TO PERSONAL INFORMATION
You may access personal information we hold about you to update or correct it, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your personal information, please contact us in writing. We will not charge any fee for your access request, but may charge an administrative fee for providing a copy of your personal information. In order to protect your personal information we may require identification from you before releasing the requested information.

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, COMPLAINTS
You are welcome to submit to us your comments or questions or complaints about our Privacy Policy or its application. For this purpose, you may contact us using the contact details published on the hobbs.com.au website.

REVISIONS TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY
We reserve the right to make revisons to our Privacy Policy at any time without directly notifying anyone of the change. If and when they occur, revisions will be published by revision to this page.

Date of this version: 20 March 2020