Privacy Policy

Last updated: 05/08/2026  ·  Pacific Coast Tree Services  ·  ABN 96 635 213 526

About this policy

Pacific Coast Tree Services (we, us, our) respects your privacy. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and store it, and how you can access or correct it.

We handle personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

What personal information we collect

We only collect personal information that we reasonably need to quote for, arrange and carry out tree work, and to run our business. Depending on how you deal with us, this may include:

• your name, phone number and email address
• the address of the property where work is to be quoted or carried out, and access details for that property
• photographs, videos or descriptions of trees, structures and site conditions that you send us or that we take during a site inspection or while carrying out work
• the content of your enquiry, including any notes about the tree, the hazard or the outcome you are after
• your relationship to the property (owner, tenant, agent, strata manager) and, where relevant, the contact details of an owner or agent
• when you accept a quotation through our website: the quote number, your confirmation that you are the owner or authorised by the owner, your preferred timeframe, days and time of day, information you give us about underground services, irrigation, septic systems or access restrictions, and any other comments you provide about the site
• records of our correspondence with you, including emails, text messages, phone notes and messages sent through our website
• payment information, including billing details and payment records
• insurance and claim details, where work relates to an insurance claim
• if you apply for a job with us, information in your application, including your work history, licences, tickets and qualifications

We do not seek to collect sensitive information as defined in the Privacy Act. If you volunteer sensitive information (for example, a health condition affecting site access or scheduling), we will only use it for the purpose you gave it to us.

How we collect personal information

We usually collect personal information directly from you — when you call us, email us, complete a form on our website, speak with us on site, or engage us to carry out work.

Sometimes we collect information about you from someone else. For example, a real estate agent, strata manager, insurer, neighbour or council may give us your details in connection with tree work at a property. Where that happens and it is reasonable to do so, we will take steps to let you know we hold your information.

Why we use your personal information

We use personal information to:

• respond to your enquiry and prepare a quote
• inspect the site and assess the work required
• record your acceptance of a quotation and the terms on which it was accepted
• schedule, plan and carry out the work safely, including briefing the crew before they arrive
• communicate with you before, during and after the job
• invoice you and process payment
• keep records of the work performed, including site photographs, for job records, warranty, safety and insurance purposes
• comply with our work health and safety obligations
• apply for or comply with council permits, consents and tree preservation requirements
• handle enquiries, complaints, disputes and insurance claims
• meet our legal, tax and record-keeping obligations
• assess job applications
• with your consent, send you information about our services

Site photographs and job records

Tree work is a high-risk activity and we keep detailed records. We routinely photograph and sometimes video sites before, during and after work. These records may show your property, and occasionally may incidentally capture people or neighbouring properties.

We keep these records to document the condition of the site, evidence the scope and standard of work, support quotes and invoices, meet safety and insurance obligations, and defend against claims.

Who we disclose personal information to

We may disclose your personal information to:

• our employees, subcontractors and labour hire personnel who need it to carry out or supervise the work
• traffic management providers, crane and equipment hire operators, and waste and green-waste facilities, where the job requires it
• consulting arborists or engineers we engage to assess a tree or structure
• your insurer, our insurer, and loss adjusters or assessors, where a claim is involved
• local councils and other authorities, where a permit, consent or notification is required
• our accountants, bookkeepers, lawyers and other professional advisers
• our IT, website, email, accounting, payment and scheduling service providers
• a purchaser of our business, or a prospective purchaser and their advisers, as part of a sale process
• anyone else you authorise, or where we are required or permitted by law

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not disclose it for the purpose of another organisation’s direct marketing.

Overseas disclosure

Some of the service providers we use to run our business — including website hosting, email, cloud storage, accounting and payment processing — store or process information on servers located outside Australia, including in the United States. By providing us with your personal information you acknowledge that it may be handled overseas by these providers.

Where we disclose personal information to an overseas recipient, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles. However, we may not be able to control or be responsible for how an overseas recipient handles your information, and you may not be able to seek redress under the Privacy Act in relation to their acts or practices.

The providers we currently use include:

• GoDaddy — website hosting, website forms and the chat feature on our website (United States)
• MYOB — accounting, quotations and invoicing (Australia)
• [ADD your email provider — for example Microsoft 365]
• [ADD any scheduling or job management software — delete this line if not applicable]

Our website

Enquiry forms

When you complete an enquiry or quote request form on our website, the information you provide is sent to us by email and stored in our systems. We use it to respond to your enquiry.

Accepting a quotation online

When you accept a quotation through our website, the information you provide is emailed to us and to you. It is not stored in a database on our website.

We use it to record your acceptance, to schedule the work, and to brief the crew before they arrive. The information you give us about underground services, access and pets is used for safety and planning, and is shared with the employees or subcontractors carrying out the job.

The timeframe you nominate is a scheduling request. Accepting a quotation online does not confirm a booking date — we contact you separately to agree one.

Cookies and analytics

[Delete this section if you are not using analytics or tracking. If you are, complete it.] Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to help the site function and to understand how visitors use it. We use [Google Analytics / other] to collect information about visits to our site, including pages viewed, approximate location, device and browser type, and how you arrived at our site. This information is aggregated and does not usually identify you.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Some parts of our website may not work properly if you disable cookies.

Chat

Our website includes a chat feature provided by GoDaddy (GoDaddy Conversations). When you use it, the messages you send, the contact details you provide, and technical information such as the pages you were viewing are collected and stored by GoDaddy on our behalf, and passed to us so we can respond. GoDaddy stores this information on servers located outside Australia, including in the United States.

Please do not send sensitive information, payment card details or passwords through the chat.

Social media

Our website may link to our social media pages. Those platforms have their own privacy policies and we do not control how they handle your information.

Direct marketing

We will only send you marketing material — such as service reminders, seasonal preparation notices or newsletters — where you have consented, or where you would reasonably expect it because you are an existing customer.

Every marketing message will include a way to opt out. You can also ask us at any time to stop sending you marketing material, and we will action that request promptly at no cost to you. We comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).

How we store and protect personal information

We hold personal information in electronic form in our email, accounting, scheduling and cloud storage systems, and sometimes in hard copy in job files and field notes.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps include restricting access to those who need it, using password protection and multi-factor authentication where available, keeping software up to date, and using reputable service providers.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. While we take reasonable steps, we cannot guarantee the security of information you send us over the internet.

Data breaches

If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to any individual whose personal information is involved, we will assess it and, where required, notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information for as long as we need it for the purposes described in this policy, and for as long as we are required to keep it by law. Job records, site photographs, quotes and invoices are generally retained for at least seven years, and in some cases longer where a limitation period for a potential claim has not expired.

When we no longer need personal information and are not required to retain it, we take reasonable steps to destroy it or de-identify it.

Accessing and correcting your information

You can ask us for access to the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

To make a request, contact us using the details below. We may need to verify your identity. We will respond within a reasonable period, usually within 30 days. We do not charge for making a request, although we may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of giving you access in some circumstances.

There are some situations where we may refuse access or correction — for example, where giving access would unreasonably affect someone else’s privacy, or where the information relates to an anticipated legal claim. If we refuse, we will tell you why in writing and explain how you can complain.

Complaints

If you think we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or mishandled your personal information, please contact us first using the details below. Tell us what happened and what outcome you are seeking. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:

• Website: oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on our website, with the date it was last updated shown at the top.

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