AHCA Privacy Policy (Australia)
Last updated: 10th October 2025
Who we are
The Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Consultants Association (AHCA) is a not-for-profit membership association for professionals working with asbestos and hazardous materials in Australia.
Contact: enquiries@ahca.org.au
This policy explains how we handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
Scope
This policy covers personal information we collect through:
- Our public website and member portal hosted on Glue Up (including forms, event registrations, member applications and renewals),
- Email and other communications with AHCA,
- Membership, events, and committee operations.
Our platform & service providers
We use trusted third parties to operate our systems. In particular:
- Glue Up – website, member portal, CRM, event registrations, email communications;
- Stripe (via Glue Up) – payment processing for membership and events;
- Xero – accounting and invoicing;
- Other common providers (e.g., email, webinar/meeting tools) as needed to deliver AHCA services.
These providers may store or process information outside Australia under their standard safeguards. We take reasonable steps to ensure they handle data in a manner consistent with the APPs.
The personal information we collect
The types of information we collect will depend on your interactions with us, and may include:
- Member and applicant details: name, job title/role, employer or business name, professional details, email, phone, state/territory, and any information you include in your application or profile.
- Business (corporate) member information: company name, ABN, logo, website, headquarters location, service regions, primary contact (name and email), and a short business description.
- Event information: registrations, attendance, dietary or accessibility needs you provide, session selections, and feedback you submit.
- Communications: enquiries you send to us (including through contact forms and email) and our correspondence with you.
- Payment information: payments are processed by Stripe via Glue Up. AHCA does not receive or store full credit/debit card numbers.
We generally do not collect sensitive information. If you choose to provide health or other sensitive details (e.g., accessibility or dietary requirements), we will only use them for the stated purpose (such as event arrangements) and will delete or de-identify them when no longer required.
How we collect information
We collect personal information directly from you (for example, when you apply for membership, register for an event, complete a form, email us, or update your profile), and automatically via our platform to support secure login and essential site functions. We may also receive limited information from your employer or colleagues where they complete registrations on your behalf.
Why we collect and use information
We use personal information to:
- Administer membership (applications, renewals, eligibility, member communications);
- Deliver events and activities (registrations, attendance management, event communications, certificates of attendance if relevant);
- Operate our website/portal and provide member services and resources;
- Maintain our corporate/business member directory (where you or your organisation have joined a directory-eligible membership type);
- Send communications about AHCA activities, news and opportunities (you can opt out at any time);
- Manage finances and compliance (invoicing, payment reconciliation, record-keeping, and legal obligations);
- Improve services (statistics, feedback, and service quality).
Where we propose to share attendee details with a sponsor or partner for a specific event, we will tell you in advance and seek your opt-in.
Cookies and analytics
The AHCA site and member portal run on Glue Up, which uses cookies and similar technologies for essential functions (e.g., login/session management) and basic analytics. You can control cookies via your browser settings; however, blocking essential cookies may affect site functionality. AHCA does not itself run targeted advertising cookies and does not access cookie-level data beyond aggregated analytics made available by the platform.
Disclosing information
We may disclose personal information to:
- Our service providers listed above (and similar vendors engaged to support our operations);
- Event venues/caterers where necessary to meet explicitly provided requirements (e.g., accessibility, dietary needs);
- Our professional advisers (e.g., legal/accounting) as needed;
- Government regulators or law enforcement if required by law.
We do not sell personal information.
Storage, security and retention
Your information is stored in Glue Up and AHCA systems with reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards. We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described above or to meet legal and audit requirements. When no longer required, we take reasonable steps to de-identify or securely destroy it.
Access and correction
You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, or request corrections if it is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.
Contact: enquiries@ahca.org.au
We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling the request. In some cases permitted by law, we may refuse access (we will tell you why if we do).
Direct marketing
AHCA may send you updates about our events, activities, and services. You can opt out at any time via the unsubscribe link in emails or by contacting enquiries@ahca.org.au.
Overseas disclosures
Our service providers may store or process information outside Australia (for example, in the United States, Singapore, the EU, or other jurisdictions). We take reasonable steps to ensure overseas recipients handle personal information in a way that is consistent with the APPs.
Complaints
If you have a privacy concern or wish to lodge a complaint, please contact enquiries@ahca.org.au. We will acknowledge receipt and aim to investigate and respond within a reasonable time.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) for guidance or to make a complaint.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will be available on this page and will include the effective date.
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