Privacy Policy

Effective Date: November 2025

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Welcome to Cherry Gardens Connect2Recover. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information in an open and transparent manner. This policy explains how we collect, use, and manage the personal information you provide to us, specifically in the context of community resilience and disaster recovery planning. We manage your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) as set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

2. The Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily submit to us through our forms or other communications. This includes:

• Contact Details: Names, email addresses, phone numbers, and street addresses.
• Needs and Offers: Information about your specific needs during a recovery period (e.g., equipment, transport, temporary accommodation), specific resources you are offering to the community, and offers to volunteer.

3. The Only Way We Use Your Information (The Core Purpose)

Your information is used strictly and solely for the purpose for which it was given: to prepare for and support the community during a post-disaster recovery period.

We will never use your contact details for direct marketing purposes.

Specifically, the Cherry Gardens Connect2Recover team will use the information submitted to:

• Match Needs and Offers: Connect individuals and families needing help with those who have offered specific resources or assistance (e.g., matching a need for temporary storage with an offer of a spare shed).
• Contact Relevant Parties: Communicate directly with you or a relevant volunteer/partner to coordinate support, confirm details, or provide updates during an active recovery phase.
• Develop Resilience Plans: Use aggregated, non-identifiable data to inform and improve future community disaster preparedness and response strategies.

4. How We Share Information

4.1 Sharing for Recovery Purposes (Core Principle)

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. When the Cherry Gardens Connect2Recover team identifies a match, information (which may include relevant contact details) may be shared by the team with the other involved party, whether that is the person in need or the individual or entity making an offer, to enable direct communication and coordination of support as outlined in Section 3. Your information is only shared on a need-to-know basis for this specific purpose. Your personal contact details are otherwise shared only internally, and never with the general public.

4.2 Operational Third Parties (Cloudflare)

Like most websites, we use operational third-party services to ensure the site is fast, secure, and reliable. These services may process traffic data (such as IP addresses and browser details) as they operate the website, but they do not access or use the specific "Needs and Offers" data you submit. This includes services like Cloudflare, which provides content delivery and security services.

We may also share your information if we are required by law, such as in response to a court order or subpoena, or if we believe it is necessary to protect the safety or rights of our community members.

5. Data Security

The personal information we collect (such as your needs, offers, and associated contact details) is collected, managed, and controlled by the Cherry Gardens Connect2Recover team in Australia, and is therefore subject to Australian privacy law.

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference, and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. We use secure electronic storage systems, and access to identifiable data is restricted to authorised personnel only. However, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as 100% secure.

6. Accessing, Correcting, and Removing Your Information

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to ask us to correct or update any details that are inaccurate or incomplete.

If you wish to have your information removed from our database, please contact us directly via email at cherrygardensconnect@gmail.com.

7. Updates

If we make changes to this policy, we’ll update this page.

8. How to Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact the Connect2Recover team via email at cherrygardensconnect@gmail.com.