COMMUNITY HUB PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: 20 May 2026

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1. About This Policy

Halmax Pty Limited ("Halmax", "we", "us", "our") owns and operates the Community Hub web application at https://www.community-hub.net. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose personal information in connection with our services.

This policy applies to:

  • Organisations — community groups, clubs, councils, and similar organisations that subscribe to Community Hub to manage member communications
  • Members — individuals whose contact details are managed within Community Hub on behalf of an organisation
  • Visitors — individuals who browse the Community Hub website

Note on member data: When organisations use Community Hub to manage their own members' information, Halmax acts as a data processor on behalf of the organisation (the data controller). Organisations are responsible for having their own privacy policies and for obtaining appropriate consent from their members.

We are committed to handling personal information responsibly in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and as further described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Contact and identity information:

  • Full name
  • Postal address
  • Mobile and landline phone numbers
  • Fax number
  • Email address
  • Organisation name and identifier (e.g. ABN in Australia, EIN in the USA)

Account and usage information:

  • Login credentials (passwords are stored using one-way hashing and are never stored in plain text)
  • Account preferences and settings
  • Communication preferences and opt-in/opt-out history
  • Platform activity and feature usage logs

Communication and content data:

  • Content of messages sent or received via Community Hub
  • Survey responses
  • Event registration and attendance records
  • Subscription history

Technical data:

  • IP addresses and access logs
  • Browser type and device information
  • Session data collected via cookies
  • Aggregated usage and analytics data collected via Google Analytics 4

We collect information directly from you when you register an account, complete forms, use Community Hub features, or contact us. We may also receive member information from organisations that use Community Hub to manage their member communications.

3. Cookies and Tracking

Community Hub uses cookies and similar session technologies to operate the platform. These include:

  • Session cookies — required for login and secure navigation. These expire when you close your browser.
  • Functional cookies — used to remember your preferences and settings within the platform.
  • Analytics cookies — we use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our website and how registered users interact with platform features. Google Analytics collects information such as pages visited, time spent, and general device and browser type. This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally. Google's privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.

We do not use third-party advertising or behavioural targeting cookies.

You can configure your browser to refuse cookies, but some parts of Community Hub may not function correctly without them. You may also opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

  • Create and manage accounts and subscriptions
  • Deliver communication services (email, SMS, voice, fax) on behalf of organisations to their members
  • Enable organisations to manage events, surveys, and member communications
  • Process requests, queries, and support issues
  • Maintain the security and integrity of the platform
  • Meet our legal and compliance obligations
  • Improve and develop Community Hub's features

We process personal information on the following lawful bases:

  • Contractual necessity — to fulfil our service agreement with organisations
  • Consent — where you have opted in to receive communications
  • Legitimate interests — to maintain the security and operation of the platform
  • Legal obligation — where required by applicable law

5. Disclosure of Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

We may share personal information with:

  • Third-party communications providers — we use trusted service providers to deliver messages (email, SMS, voice, fax) on our behalf. These providers receive only the contact details and message content necessary for delivery, and are bound by confidentiality obligations.
  • Infrastructure and hosting providers — our servers and supporting services are operated by third-party providers under appropriate data processing agreements.
  • Law enforcement or regulators — where required or permitted by law, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Halmax, our users, or the public.
  • Business transfers — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred to the successor entity. Affected users will be notified in advance where practicable.

6. Storage of Your Information

Personal information is stored on servers located in Australia. Data is protected using industry-standard encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256). Access to personal data is restricted to authorised Halmax personnel and approved service providers on a need-to-know basis.

7. Security of Your Personal Information

We implement multiple layers of security to protect personal information, including:

  • One-way password hashing (bcrypt)
  • AES-256 encryption for sensitive stored data
  • TLS encryption for all data in transit
  • Access controls limiting data access to authorised users

You are also responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. Do not share your password with others. Community Hub will never ask for your password via email or phone.

While we take all reasonable steps to protect personal information, no internet transmission or storage system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach affecting your information, we will notify you as required under applicable law.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as your account is active. After account closure:

  • Member and communication data — deleted within 30 days of account closure
  • Financial and transactional records — retained for 7 years as required by Australian taxation and accounting legislation

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time (subject to our legal retention obligations) by contacting us as described in Section 10.

Organisations are responsible for managing the retention of their members' data held within Community Hub. Halmax will act on organisations' instructions regarding deletion of that data.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you are located, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 10. We will respond within 14 calendar days, or within any shorter timeframe required by applicable law.

All users:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

Australian residents (Privacy Act 1988 / Australian Privacy Principles):

  • Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au

UK residents (UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018):

  • Request erasure of your personal information ("right to be forgotten")
  • Request restriction of processing
  • Request a portable, machine-readable copy of your data
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests
  • Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk

Canadian residents (PIPEDA / provincial privacy legislation):

  • Withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions
  • Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.priv.gc.ca

California residents (CCPA/CPRA):

  • Know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or disclosed about you
  • Request deletion of your personal information
  • Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (note: we do not sell or share personal information for advertising purposes)
  • Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

10. Contact and Complaints

For privacy enquiries, access requests, correction requests, or complaints, please contact our Privacy Officer:

  • Email: info@community-hub.net
  • Post: Privacy Officer, Halmax Pty Limited, PO Box 7190, Hutt Street, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia

We will respond in writing within 14 calendar days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate to the relevant authority:

  • Australia: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner — www.oaic.gov.au
  • UK: Information Commissioner's Office — ico.org.uk
  • Canada: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada — www.priv.gc.ca

11. Data Breaches

In the event of an eligible data breach, we will:

  • Investigate and contain the breach as quickly as practicable
  • Notify affected individuals as required under applicable law
  • Report to the relevant authority where required — including the OAIC (Australia), the ICO (UK), and the OPC (Canada)

This reflects our obligations under Australia's Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme, UK GDPR, and equivalent Canadian requirements.

12. Children's Privacy

Community Hub is intended for use by adults (18 years and over) and by community organisations. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately and we will delete it promptly.

13. International Data Transfers

Our servers are located in Australia. If you access Community Hub from outside Australia, your personal information will be transferred to and processed in Australia.

UK users: Transfers of personal data to Australia are not currently covered by a UK adequacy decision. We implement appropriate safeguards for such transfers in accordance with UK GDPR requirements. Please contact us if you would like further information about the safeguards in place.

Canadian users: Your personal information may be processed outside Canada (in Australia), where different privacy laws apply. By using Community Hub, you acknowledge this transfer. We take reasonable steps to ensure your information receives a comparable level of protection.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify registered users by email and update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of Community Hub after notification of changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Compliance

Halmax, its contractors, and service providers operate within industry guidelines and applicable privacy legislation in every jurisdiction where Halmax provides services. By registering as a Community Hub customer and using Community Hub, you agree to comply with this Privacy Policy.

Organisations using Community Hub to manage member communications must only contact individuals who have opted in to receive those communications, and must comply with all applicable anti-spam and privacy legislation in their jurisdiction.