Privacy Policy

At Adelaide Climate Action Week (ACAW), we believe that transparency is a much-needed human value to support climate action. Just as we advocate for open, accountable action on climate, we're committed to being clear and honest about how we handle your personal information.

ACAW is a program of GAIA Imperative Co Ltd (ABN 28 689 852 220) ('GAIA Imperative'). We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This policy explains how and why we collect, use, hold, and disclose your personal information; and how you can reach us to access, correct, or raise concerns about that information.

Please take a moment to read this policy before sharing your personal information with us.

What is personal information?

Personal information is any information or opinion about an identified individual, or someone who can be reasonably identified from it, regardless of whether it's true or recorded in a formal way.

How do we collect personal information from you?

We gather information about you and your interactions with us in a number of ways, most often directly from you when you:

• get in touch with us over the phone or by email
• meet with us in person
• visit our website at acaw.org.au, or engage with our social media channels, email or messaging platforms
• fill out a survey or questionnaire
• attend an ACAW event or register for one through our ticketing platform
• subscribe to our mailing list
• apply to join us as an employee, contractor, or volunteer
• request further information from us

Occasionally, we may also receive information from publicly available third-party sources.

What personal information do we collect and hold?

The information we collect may include your name, email address, home or work address, phone number, employer details, and any other information relevant to your participation in our programs and activities. We also keep records of any enquiries or complaints you raise with us.

We may also gather technical information about how you use our website and social media channels, including:

• the pages you visited and how you arrived at our site
• technical data such as your IP address, device type and attributes, browser type, language, and operating system

We use cookies on our website, these are small text files stored on your device to improve your browsing experience. These may be persistent (staying after you close your browser) or session-based (cleared when you finish browsing). You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may limit some website functionality.

If you choose not to provide certain personal information, we may not be able to offer you access to our programs, process your event registrations, or respond to your enquiries.

Why do we collect, hold, and use your personal information?

Like the climate solutions we champion, we use data purposefully to do good, not gather it for gathering's sake. Your personal information helps us to:

• deliver the information or services you've requested
• personalise your experience with ACAW
• improve the quality and reach of what we offer
• give you access to our programs and digital platforms
• review your submissions to ACAW
• share resources about sustainability and climate action
• manage our internal operations
• conduct research and marketing to grow our community
• respond to your queries, feedback, or complaints
• meet our legal obligations and assist relevant government or regulatory bodies
• let you know about related events, opportunities, or services we think you'd value

How do we store, hold, and protect personal information?

We store most information in computer systems and databases; our own or those of trusted third-party service providers. Some information may also be held in secure physical files.

We take the security of your information seriously. Our protective measures include:

• identity and access management technologies to control who can view and handle your data
• internal policies requiring all staff to handle information responsibly and securely
• access restrictions so only those who need your information to serve you can see it
• technological safeguards such as anti-virus software and firewalls
• regular reviews of our practices against our own policies and industry best practice

Who do we share your personal information with, and why?

We may share your personal information with related or partner organisations and trusted third parties where you would reasonably expect us to do so. For example, event registration details may be shared with event organisers for their own communications. We may disclose information to:

• third-party technology and service providers
• marketing, branding, and communications partners
• professional services advisors (legal, financial, etc.)

We may also disclose information where required or permitted by law, or if our business ownership changes and your information is transferred to the new operator.

Transfer of personal information overseas

We may share your information with affiliated or partner organisations outside Australia. Where we do, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate data security and privacy practices are in place. We will only disclose your information overseas where:

• you have given us your consent
• we reasonably believe the overseas recipient is subject to laws or binding schemes substantially similar to the APPs, and those schemes can be enforced
• the disclosure is required or authorised by Australian law or a court/tribunal order

Do we use your information for marketing?

We may use your information to share services, events, and opportunities we think you'll genuinely value, but only if you'd like us to. If you'd prefer we don't, just let us know.

We may send you direct marketing communications by email, SMS, or mail in accordance with the Australian Spam Act 2003 (Cth), and only where you have consented to receive them. You can opt out at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in any communication, or by contacting us directly.

We may also use your information for online advertising, website personalisation, and targeted content, including through third-party platforms.

How long do we keep your information?

We only keep your personal information for as long as we need it. In most cases, this means for the duration of your relationship with us, unless we're required by law to retain it longer (for example, for record-keeping purposes).

Accessing and correcting your personal information

You have the right to access or request corrections to the personal information we hold about you. There's no charge to make a request, though we may ask you to contribute to reasonable costs if retrieving your information requires significant effort.

We'll respond in a reasonable timeframe and take all reasonable steps to keep your information accurate, current, and complete. To make a request, please use the contact details below.

Links to third-party websites

Our website may link to sites operated by third parties. We're not responsible for their privacy practices, please read their privacy policies directly. Third-party operators are responsible for how they handle your information.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how we've handled your personal information, please get in touch using the contact details below. We'll review your complaint and let you know the outcome.

You can also seek independent guidance from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): https://www.oaic.gov.au/

Contact us

We'd love to hear from you, whether it's a question, a concern, or just to connect around climate action:

GAIA Imperative Co Ltd

35 Valley View Circuit

Warriewood NSW 2102

Australia

Email: collaborate@acaw.org.au

Website: acaw.org.au

Changes to this policy

Like climate action itself, our approach evolves. From time to time, we may update this policy to reflect changes in how we handle your information. Any updates will be published on our website, and you're always welcome to request the current version by contacting us.

Last reviewed: March 2026