PRIVACY POLICY

1. Introduction

House And Land Packages Pty Ltd (ABN 92 631 641 408) ("HALP", "we", "us", or "our") operates multiple property and business directory platforms including:

www.halp.com.au
www.boutiquedevelopments.com.au
Associated websites within our network

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). "Personal Information" has the meaning given in the Privacy Act, being in sum - Information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether true or not, and whether recorded in material form or not.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and manage your personal information we collect either from you when you use our websites, services, and platforms or otherwise interact with us, or from third parties.

2. Information We Collect and How we Collect it

2.1 Personal Information

We may collect the following types of personal information:

Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number (mobile and/or landline), mailing address, suburb, state, and postcode.

Property-Related Information: Property search preferences, budget and finance capacity, preferred locations and school zones, property type preferences (house and land, off-the-plan, etc.), investment or owner-occupier status.

Professional Information (for Business Listings): Business name and trading name, ABN/ACN, business address, professional licenses and credentials, Professional Indemnity Insurance certificates and details, Trust Account details (where applicable for verification), business logo and marketing materials, service areas and specializations.

Mortgage and Finance Information: Income details, employment status, deposit amount available, current mortgage or rental commitments, credit-related information (via third-party providers only).

Account Information: Username and password (encrypted), account preferences and settings, subscription and payment history, saved searches and properties, communication preferences.

Inquiry and Communication Data: Messages sent through our contact forms, email correspondence, phone call records (when you contact us), feedback and survey responses, customer support interactions.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our websites, we automatically collect technical information (IP address and device identifiers, browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution), usage data (pages visited and time spent, search queries and filters used, properties viewed and saved, click paths and navigation patterns, referral sources, date and time of access), and location data (general location based on IP address, precise location if you grant permission on mobile devices, location preferences for property searches).

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from real estate agents, developers, and builders you contact through our platform; mortgage brokers and financial service providers in our network; property data providers and aggregators; credit reporting agencies (with your consent); social media platforms; marketing and analytics service providers; government databases (for school zone and demographic information); and your employer or organization you work with, in the course of our dealings with them.

2.4 Information You Choose to Provide

We may also collect information when you subscribe to our newsletters or alerts, register for an account, complete mortgage calculators, download property guides and resources, submit property listings or business directory entries, participate in surveys or promotions, provide reviews or testimonials, or attend our events or webinars.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to provide access to our property search and discovery platforms; connect you with property developers, builders, and real estate agents; facilitate mortgage broker connections and home loan services; deliver school zone information and property insights; process and display property listings; manage business directory listings and subscriptions; respond to your inquiries and provide customer support; send property alerts matching your search criteria; provide mortgage rate updates and finance information; analyze usage patterns to enhance user experience; develop new features and services; conduct market research and analysis; and (with consent) send newsletters, promotional information about new developments and listings, and educational content.

We may also process your information based on legitimate business interests, including preventing fraud and maintaining platform security, enforcing our Terms of Service, protecting our legal rights and property, complying with legal obligations, and managing and improving our business operations.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your personal information with property industry partners (property developers and builders whose listings you inquire about, real estate agents representing properties of interest, property management companies, project marketing and sales teams); financial services partners (mortgage brokers in our network — HALP Home Loans partners, home loan lenders and financial institutions, mortgage aggregators and comparison services); professional service providers (conveyancers and solicitors upon request, building inspectors and valuers upon request, removalist and utility connection services upon request); technology and service providers (Amazon Web Services (AWS) for hosting and backups, Pipedrive and ActiveCampaign for CRM, Google Drive for cloud storage, Google Workspace for email, Stripe for payment processing, Google Analytics, marketing automation platforms, SMS and communication service providers); business operations (our related bodies corporate and affiliates, professional advisors, business purchasers or successors in the event of a sale or merger); and legal requirements (government agencies and law enforcement, courts and tribunals, regulatory authorities).

Property Listing Inquiries: When you submit an inquiry about a specific property listing through our platform, your inquiry (name, email, phone, message) goes directly to the listing agent, developer, or builder. HALP does not store or process these property-specific inquiries. The property advertiser becomes the data controller for your inquiry. You should review the privacy policy of the property advertiser. We facilitate the connection but do not retain your inquiry data.

General Platform Inquiries: When you use our general inquiry forms (Contact Us, Join Us, Advertise With Us), your information is collected and stored by HALP. We store inquiries in our CRM systems (Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign), and supporting documentation may be stored in Google Drive. We use this information to respond to your inquiry and provide services.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. Any sharing of information is done with your consent, to provide services you've requested, with service providers who assist us in operating our business, or as required by law.

5. Data Security and Storage

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including SSL encryption for data transmission, encrypted storage, secure authentication and access controls, regular security assessments, restricted access to personal information, secure data centers with physical security controls (AWS), regular backups stored securely on AWS, PCI-DSS compliant payment processing through Stripe, and staff training on privacy and data security.

Data Retention: Account information is retained while your account is active, plus 7 years after closure. Inquiry and communication records are retained for up to 7 years. Transaction records are retained for 7 years (tax and legal compliance). Marketing data is retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent. Website analytics are typically retained for 26 months.

Data Storage Locations: Your personal information may be stored on secure servers located in Australia, with Amazon Web Services (AWS) (website hosting, backups and infrastructure), and with cloud service providers who may store data internationally (Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign).

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use essential cookies (required for website functionality), analytics cookies (Google Analytics), functional cookies (preferences and settings), and marketing cookies (with your consent). You can control cookies through your browser settings, our cookie consent banner, or third-party opt-out tools. Note: Disabling certain cookies may limit website functionality.

7. Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information, and receive a copy of your personal information in a portable format. To request access or correction, contact us at privacy@halp.com.au.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in each email, opt out of SMS communications by replying "STOP", update your communication preferences in your account settings, or contact us to request removal from specific communications.

You may request deletion of your account and associated personal information by contacting us at privacy@halp.com.au.

Complaint Process: Contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@halp.com.au. We will acknowledge your complaint within 7 days and investigate and respond within 30 days. If unsatisfied, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): www.oaic.gov.au / 1300 363 992 / enquiries@oaic.gov.au.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 18 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

9. Third-Party Links and Services

Our websites may contain links to third-party websites, services, and platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers may be located overseas or store data on international servers. Countries where data may be transferred include the United States (AWS, Stripe, Google, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign) and European Union countries.

11. Marketing and Direct Marketing

With your consent, we may send you property listings and alerts, newsletters, information about new developments and projects, home loan and finance updates, educational content, and promotional offers. You can opt out at any time by clicking "unsubscribe", updating preferences, replying "STOP" to SMS, or emailing unsubscribe@halp.com.au. We will process opt-out requests within 5 business days.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date, notify you via email (if you have an account), display a prominent notice on our websites, and provide a reasonable period for you to review changes before they take effect.

13. Contact Us

Privacy Officer Email: privacy@halp.com.au Phone: 1300 137 406 Mail: 235 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick VIC 3185