Effective Date: 1 October 2025
Buy Local Toowoomba (“we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your information when you use our website and services.
This policy complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
1. What Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of information when you interact with our website, register for a listing, or submit an enquiry form:
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Personal Information
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Your name, email address, phone number, and business details (e.g. ABN, address).
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Account & Billing Information
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Payment details when you subscribe to a paid plan (processed securely by third parties such as Stripe).
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Technical & Usage Information
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IP address, device type, browser type, location data, pages visited, and actions taken on the site.
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Public Listing Information
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Business name, description, services, categories, photos, website, and social media links that you provide for publication.
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Cookies & Tracking Data
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Session cookies, analytics cookies, and advertising cookies that help us improve the site and measure performance.
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2. How We Collect Information
We collect your information in a few ways:
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Directly from you – when you submit a form, register an account, or purchase a subscription.
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Automatically – through cookies, analytics tools (such as Google Analytics), and server logs.
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From third parties – for example, if you use payment providers, lead forms, or integrations with social media.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
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To create and publish business listings on the directory.
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To connect customers with local businesses via enquiry and lead-routing forms.
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To process payments and manage subscriptions.
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To send service updates, billing notices, and promotional emails (you can unsubscribe anytime).
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To improve our website through analytics and testing.
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To prevent fraud, spam, and abuse of our services.
We will not sell your personal information to third parties.
4. Sharing & Disclosure
We may share your information with:
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Service providers who help us operate the site (hosting, email, payment processors, analytics tools).
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Other users – if you post a business listing, the information you provide will be publicly visible.
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Legal authorities – if required by law or to protect our legal rights.
Some service providers may store data outside Australia. By using our site, you consent to international data transfers, provided safeguards are in place.
5. Data Retention
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We keep your account and listing data while your subscription is active.
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If your account is inactive for more than 24 months, we may delete your information.
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Transaction records are kept as required by Australian tax and accounting laws.
6. Security of Your Information
We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information, including:
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Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption on all forms.
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Restricted access to administrative systems.
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Regular monitoring for unauthorised access.
No method of transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to safeguarding your data.
7. Your Rights
Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), you have the right to:
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Access the personal information we hold about you.
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Correct or update your information if it is inaccurate.
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Request deletion of your information (subject to legal obligations).
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Withdraw consent for certain uses of your data.
To make a request, contact us at: [Insert Contact Email].
If you are unsatisfied with how we handle your request, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.
8. Cookies & Tracking
We use cookies to:
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Keep you logged in during sessions.
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Analyse site traffic and performance (Google Analytics).
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Deliver personalised or localised content.
You can control or disable cookies in your browser settings, though some features may not work properly.
9. Children’s Privacy
Our services are not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe a child has submitted information, please contact us so we can delete it.
10. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to read their policies.
11. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updates will be published on this page with a revised “Effective Date”. If changes are significant, we will notify you via email or a site notice.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Buy Local Toowoomba
Email: [email protected]