Last updated: 20 May 2026
HomeCommunity Hub's Spam Policy can be summarised as follows:
Community Hub may use its discretion to refuse to process any message transmission that falls into any of these categories. Repeated or serious breaches of this policy may result in suspension or termination of your account in accordance with the Terms of Use.
Unsolicited messages are those which a recipient has not consented to receive. To send messages through the Community Hub system, you must have the consent of the recipient. This can be through:
Inferred consent is a narrow exception. If in doubt, obtain express consent. In particular, messages which serve any of the following purposes must have the express consent of the recipient:
You must comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth), which prohibits the transmission of certain unsolicited messages.
Exempt organisations: Certain organisations are exempt from parts of the Spam Act, including registered charities (for genuine charitable purposes), government bodies, registered political parties, and educational institutions communicating with current students or staff. Exempt organisations should still follow consent best practices.
Messages that are purely administrative or transactional in nature are generally not considered "commercial electronic messages" under the Spam Act, and the unsubscribe requirement does not apply to them. Where a person has an active membership or direct relationship with your organisation, it is reasonable to send them important administrative notices without an opt-out option.
Examples of administrative messages include:
Examples of messages that are promotional in nature and do require consent and an unsubscribe option include event promotions, newsletters, fundraising appeals, and any message advertising goods or services.
If you are unsure whether a message is administrative or promotional, err on the side of including an unsubscribe option.
Your message must clearly and accurately identify the individual or organisation that authorised the sending of the message. This includes:
This information must remain valid for at least 30 days after the message is sent.
Commercial and promotional messages sent through the Community Hub system must contain a functional unsubscribe facility. Community Hub's built-in unsubscribe link satisfies this requirement. The message must include a statement that the recipient may use the provided address or link to send an unsubscribe request to the organisation that authorised the message. Unsubscribe requests must be honoured promptly and must not require the recipient to take more than one step to unsubscribe.
Administrative messages sent to current members (as described above) are not required to include an unsubscribe facility, provided they are genuinely administrative in nature and are sent only to individuals with an active membership or relationship with your organisation.
The Australian Do Not Call Register (DNCR) has been established to prevent unsolicited telemarketing calls and faxes to registered numbers. You are required to comply with the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 (Cth). If you are sending voice or fax messages using numbers you supply to Community Hub, your list may need to be checked against the DNCR before sending.
Key points:
For more information, see:
Electronic address lists resulting from address-harvesting software must not be supplied, acquired, or used on the Community Hub system. Address-harvesting software means software specifically designed or marketed to search the internet for electronic addresses and collect, compile, capture, or otherwise harvest those addresses.
Address lists compiled through such means are almost always obtained without the knowledge or consent of the addressee. Use of these addresses is a major contributor to spam and is prohibited by Community Hub.
You may not transmit messages through the Community Hub system that contravene any applicable Federal, State, or other law.
If you are located outside Australia, you must also comply with the anti-spam and electronic communications legislation applicable in your jurisdiction, including the CAN-SPAM Act (USA), Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) in the UK. Some of these laws are stricter than Australia's Spam Act — in particular, CASL and PECR generally require express opt-in consent rather than inferred consent. You are responsible for ensuring your use of Community Hub complies with the laws of your jurisdiction.