Privacy policy

This policy explains how Hobart Structural Engineers (ABN [ABN]) handles personal information collected through hobartstructuralengineers.com.au, by phone and by email. We aim to handle personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

What personal information do we collect?

We collect only what we need to quote for and carry out your job:

• Contact details: your name, phone number and email address.
• Property and job details: the suburb or address of the property, the service you need, your description of the problem or project, and any deadline, such as settlement or a builder's start date.
• Files you send: photos, plans, earlier reports and contractors' quotes.
• Site records: our notes, measurements and photographs of the property, and the reports, designs and certificates we prepare.
• Business records: what we need to invoice you and keep our accounts.

We don't ask for sensitive information, such as health information, and you never need to send bank or card details through this website.

What happens when I use a quote form?

Our quote forms are processed by Web3Forms, a form-processing service. When you send a form, Web3Forms receives the details you typed, stores any files you attach and sends us your request with links to those files. Web3Forms may also send you an automatic email confirming that we received your request.

Each form also carries a few technical details so we know how enquiries reach us: the page you sent it from, how you first and last arrived at the website (for example a Google search, an ad or a link from another site), the page you landed on and, if you arrived from an ad, the campaign name, search keyword and an ad click ID. None of these technical details include your name or contact details.

The forms accept up to 5 files of 50 MB each. Please only send files that relate to your job, and leave out anything we don't need, such as photos of people.

How do we use your information?

We use your information to:

• prepare your quote and arrange any site visit
• carry out the job and prepare your report, design or certificate
• contact you about your job and answer your questions
• invoice you and keep the business records the law requires
• understand which pages and searches lead to enquiries, so we can improve the website

We don't sell your information, and we don't use it for unrelated marketing.

Who do we share it with?

Only as far as your job needs, or the law requires:

• People you ask us to share it with, such as your building surveyor, builder, building designer, architect, insurer, lawyer or conveyancer.
• Service providers who help us run the business, such as our website host, form processor, email, file storage and accounting providers. They may only use it to provide their service to us.
• Anyone the law requires us to give it to, for example under a court order or subpoena.

Some of these service providers, including Web3Forms, Cloudflare, Google, may store or process information outside Australia.

What does the website collect, and does it use cookies?

This website is hosted on Cloudflare, which delivers the pages and protects the site from abuse. Like any web host, Cloudflare processes technical information such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you request, and it may set a strictly necessary security cookie.

• Fonts are loaded from Google Fonts, so your browser connects to Google's servers when you open a page.
• How you found us: our own website code stores a small record in your browser's local storage of how you first and last arrived at the site (for example a Google search or an ad), for up to 90 days, plus a random ID for your current visit. This is browser storage, not a cookie, and you can clear it at any time in your browser settings.
• Visit log: when you open a page, or tap our phone number or email address, your browser sends a short record to a visit log we run on Cloudflare: the page, how you arrived at the site and the random visit ID. It contains no name or contact details. We use it to see which pages lead to calls and enquiries.

We don't currently use Google Analytics, Google Ads tracking or session-recording tools on this website. If we start using any of them, we will update this policy.

Our own website code doesn't set cookies. You can block or delete cookies and browser storage in your browser settings; the website still works without them.

How long do you keep reports and records?

Reports, drawings, calculations, photos and site notes are professional records. We keep them because they may be needed later: to compare a crack over time, to support a design or certificate, or to answer questions about our work. A report or design is prepared for the client named on it, and we don't give a copy to anyone else without that client's permission unless the law requires it. When we no longer need personal information for the job, our records or the law, we delete or de-identify it.

How do you keep information secure?

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, change or disclosure, and we use reputable service providers to store it. No system is completely secure, so please only send us what your job needs. If a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, we will tell you and, where the law requires, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

How can I see or correct my information?

You can ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct it. Email info@hobartstructuralengineers.com.au or call 03 6146 4747 (Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm). We may need to confirm your identity first, and we will respond within a reasonable time. If we can't give you access or make a correction, we will tell you why.

How do I make a privacy complaint?

Contact us first using the details above, and we will do our best to resolve it. If you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.

Will this policy change?

We may update this policy, for example when we change a service provider or add a website tool. The current version is always on this page, with the date it was last updated.