1. Purpose and scope
Bowen Chamber of Commerce Inc. (“the Chamber”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is an incorporated association under Queensland law that supports and represents business in the Bowen and Collinsville region. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose and protect personal information about members, event attendees, sponsors, website users, job applicants and other individuals we deal with.
This policy applies to information collected through our membership application and renewal process, our website (bowenchamber.org.au), online payment and event booking platforms, email and newsletter communications, Microsoft 365 (email, SharePoint, Teams), social media pages, and in person at Chamber events and meetings.
While incorporated associations below certain turnover thresholds are not always bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Chamber has voluntarily adopted this policy and follows the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) as best practice, given that we collect payment and membership data online.
2. What personal information we collect
The type of information we collect depends on your relationship with the Chamber (list block):
- Membership details: name, business/trading name, ABN, postal and street address, phone number, email address, industry sector, and membership category (Standard, Affiliated, Corporate or Pro Bono).
- Payment information: bank transaction references for direct deposit, or payment confirmation data from our payment processor (Stripe) and event booking platform (TryBooking). We do not store full credit card numbers — these are processed and held by our payment providers, not by the Chamber.
- Event and booking details: name, contact details, dietary or accessibility requirements, and attendance history for Chamber events booked through TryBooking.
- Website and communications data: enquiry form submissions, newsletter subscription details, and standard website usage data such as pages visited (see Cookies section).
- Committee and governance records: information about office bearers and committee members required for incorporated association reporting (e.g. to the Office of Fair Trading Queensland).
- Photos and testimonials: images or quotes from members or attendees used in Chamber marketing, collected only with consent.
3. How we collect personal information
- Directly from you, when you apply for or renew membership, register for an event, contact us by email or phone, or subscribe to our newsletter.
- Through our website’s membership and contact forms, and through our online payment and booking providers (Stripe, TryBooking).
- From publicly available sources, such as a business’s own website or public business directories, when compiling directories of local businesses.
Where practicable, we collect personal information directly from the individual concerned. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental consent.
4. How we use personal information
- To process and administer membership applications, renewals and fees.
- To communicate with members and attendees about Chamber news, advocacy, events, and membership benefits.
- To process event bookings and payments through our third-party platforms.
- To maintain a directory of financial members for referral and networking purposes (published details only, and only with member consent).
- To meet reporting and record-keeping obligations as an incorporated association.
- To improve our website and services, and for internal administration.
We do not use personal information for automated decision-making that has a legal or similarly significant effect on individuals.
5. Disclosure of personal information
We do not sell personal information. We may disclose personal information to:
- Our service providers, strictly for the purpose of providing their service to us: our website host and developer, our payment processor (Stripe), our event booking platform (TryBooking), and Microsoft (as our email, file storage and productivity provider).
- Partner organisations named by the Chamber (for example, regional tourism or economic development bodies) only where a member has consented to referral or joint promotion.
- Government or regulatory bodies where required by law, such as the Office of Fair Trading Queensland or the Australian Taxation Office.
- A professional adviser (accountant, auditor or lawyer) engaged by the Chamber, bound by confidentiality.
Some of the Chamber’s service providers (including Microsoft and Stripe) may store or process data on servers located outside Australia. We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers maintain appropriate data protection standards.
6. Website, cookies and online tracking
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies for essential site functionality, analytics, and to remember your preferences. A cookie consent banner allows visitors to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect site functionality.
7. Data security and retention
- Digital records are held in access-controlled systems (Microsoft 365 / SharePoint) with multi-factor authentication enabled for administrator accounts.
- Payment data is not stored by the Chamber directly and is handled by PCI-compliant third-party processors (Stripe, TryBooking).
- Access to membership and financial records is limited to office bearers, committee members and volunteers who need it to perform their role.
- We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes it was collected, or as required by law and our incorporated association obligations, after which it is securely deleted or de-identified.
While we take reasonable steps to protect personal information, no system can be guaranteed completely secure. We will notify affected individuals and, where required, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, in the event of an eligible data breach.
8. Access, correction and complaints
You may request access to, or correction of, the personal information we hold about you by contacting the Secretary at info@bowenchamber.org.au. We will respond within a reasonable period, generally 30 days.
If you believe we have mishandled your personal information, please contact us in the first instance using the details above so we can investigate and respond. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (oaic.gov.au).
9. Changes to this policy
The Management Committee may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations.
Last update: 13/09/2026