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Legal

Privacy Policy

This policy explains how Community Relief Ltd collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information, and your rights in relation to that information.

Effective Date: 1 January 2026  |  Last Reviewed: May 2026  |  Version: 1.0

1. About This Policy

Community Relief Ltd ("we", "us", "our") is a not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee (ACN 698 191 383 | ABN 66 698 191 383), registered in Queensland, Australia. We are committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals whose personal information we handle.

This Privacy Policy is made in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) ("Privacy Act") and the Australian Privacy Principles ("APPs") contained in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act. It applies to all personal information we collect through our website (www.relief.org.au), our service intake process, our welfare programs, and any other activities we conduct.

By providing personal information to us, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

2. What Personal Information We Collect

The types of personal information we may collect include:

  • Name, date of birth, gender
  • Residential address, suburb and postcode
  • Contact details including telephone number and email address
  • Household composition (number and ages of dependants)
  • Immigration or visa status where relevant to eligibility
  • Employment or income status
  • Health information where relevant to a program application (e.g. medical aid assistance)
  • Details of circumstances of hardship provided voluntarily in support of an assistance application
  • Information provided by referring professionals (e.g. GPs, social workers, hospital staff)

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for one or more of our functions or activities. We do not collect personal information beyond what is required to assess and deliver benevolent relief.

3. Sensitive Information

Some personal information we collect may constitute sensitive information under the Privacy Act. This includes health information, information about racial or ethnic origin, and information about family violence circumstances. We collect sensitive information only where:

  • You have consented to the collection, and
  • The collection is reasonably necessary for our activities as a benevolent relief organisation.

Sensitive information receives a higher level of protection under this policy. It will not be disclosed to third parties without your express consent, except where required by law or where disclosure is necessary to prevent a serious threat to your life, health or safety or that of another person.

4. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information in the following ways:

  • Directly from you when you contact us by email, telephone or through our website contact form
  • Through our intake and welfare assessment process
  • From referring professionals with your consent
  • Through welfare visits conducted by our volunteers
  • Indirectly from publicly available sources where permitted by law

Where practicable, we collect personal information directly from the individual concerned. Where we collect personal information from third parties (e.g. referring agencies), we will take reasonable steps to notify you of this collection.

5. How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information for the following primary purposes:

  • To assess your eligibility for our relief programs
  • To deliver relief assistance directly to you
  • To coordinate welfare visits and follow-up support
  • To make payments on your behalf to service providers (e.g. utility companies, pharmacies)
  • To facilitate referrals to other support agencies where appropriate and with your consent
  • To maintain accurate records of relief delivered as required by our governance obligations
  • To respond to enquiries sent to us via our website or email

We will only use your personal information for a purpose other than the primary purpose of collection if you have consented, or if the secondary use is directly related to the primary purpose and you would reasonably expect it.

6. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose personal information to the following categories of parties:

  • Service providers and suppliers — where we are making a direct payment on your behalf, limited to information necessary for that transaction
  • Referral agencies — where we refer you to another support service and you have consented to the referral
  • Our volunteers and staff — on a need-to-know basis for program delivery
  • Regulatory bodies — where required by law, including the ACNC, ATO or other lawful authority
  • Law enforcement — where we are legally required or authorised to do so, or where necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to a person's life or safety

We do not sell, trade, rent or otherwise disclose personal information to third parties for commercial purposes. We do not disclose personal information to overseas recipients except in limited circumstances required by law.

7. Data Quality and Security

We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information we hold is accurate, up-to-date and complete. We also take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Security measures include restricted access to personal information on a need-to-know basis, secure storage of paper records, and secure electronic record-keeping systems with access controls. Volunteers and staff who handle personal information are trained in privacy obligations.

8. Retention and Destruction

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable laws. When personal information is no longer needed, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it.

Recipient records are generally retained for a minimum of seven years following the last contact, in accordance with our financial and governance record-keeping obligations under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

9. Access and Correction

Under the Privacy Act, you have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request correction of that information if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.

To make an access or correction request, please contact us at info@relief.org.au with the subject line "Privacy — Access Request" or "Privacy — Correction Request". We will respond within 30 days. We will not charge a fee for making an access request, but may charge a reasonable fee for providing access to complex records.

In limited circumstances, we may refuse access if it would unreasonably impact the privacy of others, or where permitted by law. If we refuse access, we will provide reasons in writing.

10. Complaints

If you believe we have handled your personal information in a way that breaches the Privacy Act or this policy, you may lodge a complaint with us at info@relief.org.au. We will investigate and respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.

11. Website and Cookies

Our website (www.relief.org.au) is a static, informational website. We do not use tracking cookies, advertising technology, social media pixels, or third-party analytics that collect personal information. We do not operate a donation portal or any payment functionality on this website.

When you submit an enquiry through our contact form, the information you provide is sent to our designated email address and is handled in accordance with this policy.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will always be available at www.relief.org.au/privacy.html. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our services following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact

For all privacy-related enquiries, requests or complaints:

Community Relief Ltd — Privacy Officer
31 Pompadour Street, Sunnybank Hills QLD 4109
Email: info@relief.org.au
ACN 698 191 383 | ABN 66 698 191 383