Privacy policy and discaimer | Kel Building Const

Last updated: 5 October 2026

A note before you read this

This policy has been written by Kel Building Consultants based on the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. It has not been independently reviewed by a privacy lawyer. If you are relying on this policy for legal purposes we recommend you seek your own legal advice. If you have any questions about how we handle your information please contact us directly — we would rather you ask than wonder.

1. Who We Are

Kel Building Consultants ABN 86 699 117 648 is an independent building consultancy based on the Surf Coast, Victoria, operating statewide. This Privacy Policy covers our website at kelbuildconsult.com.au, our contact and subscription forms, our phone and email communications, our inspection and advisory services, and our reports and inspection photographs.

2. The Small Business Exemption — and Why We Comply Anyway

The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) generally applies to businesses with an annual turnover exceeding $3 million. As a sole practitioner consultancy our turnover may fall below that threshold. Regardless of whether the small business exemption technically applies to us, we are committed to handling all personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles. Our clients include lawyers, developers, and financial institutions who expect professional standards of information handling — and we hold ourselves to those standards regardless of what the law strictly requires of us.

3. What Information We Collect

Through our contact form

When you submit an enquiry through our website we collect your name, email address, phone number, the nature of your enquiry, and any other information you choose to include in your message.

Through our subscription form

When you subscribe to our industry updates we collect your first name and email address, and your consent to receive communications from us.

During engagements

When we carry out an inspection or advisory engagement we collect the property address, our findings, and inspection photographs. Where our client is not the property owner — for example a solicitor instructing us on behalf of a client, or a developer assessing a site — our records may include details of owners, occupiers, or other parties provided to us by our client rather than by those individuals directly.

Automatically

Our website is built on the Wix platform. When you visit our website, Wix and its analytics tools automatically collect general usage data including your IP address, browser and device details, and the pages you visit. This happens whether or not you complete a form. We do not control this data collection directly — it is handled by Wix under their own privacy policy, which we encourage you to review at wix.com/about/privacy.

We do not collect sensitive information such as health information, financial account details, or government identifiers through this website or our forms.

4. Cookies and Analytics

Our website uses Wix's built-in analytics tools which set cookies on your device to distinguish visitors and track general usage patterns. These tools collect IP addresses and general browsing data but do not collect the content of anything you type into our forms. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, though doing so may affect how some parts of our website function.

5. Overseas Data Storage

Our website and forms are hosted on the Wix platform, which operates servers and infrastructure internationally including in the United States. When you submit information through our website your data passes through Wix's systems, which may be located outside Australia. We use Google Workspace for our business email, which also operates internationally. By submitting information through this website you acknowledge that your data may be processed and stored outside Australia by these service providers, each of which operates under their own privacy policies and security standards.

6. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information only for the following purposes:

To respond to your enquiry or request for services
To provide building inspection, advisory, and reporting services under a signed services agreement
To send industry updates, technical insights, and articles where you have subscribed and given your consent
To invoice for services provided and maintain business records required by law
To maintain our file on a completed engagement in case it is needed later — for example if our findings are questioned or relied upon in legal proceedings

We do not use your information for any purpose other than those listed above without your prior consent. We do not sell, trade, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

7. Inspection Photographs

We photograph properties during inspections. Photographs are taken to document findings and form part of the inspection report for that specific engagement.

Inspection photographs are used only for the report they were taken for. We do not publish photographs of client properties without consent. On the rare occasion that a photograph is used for educational or illustrative purposes — for example in an article or industry update — we take the following steps before publication:

All metadata including GPS coordinates and timestamps is removed from the file
The image is reviewed to ensure it does not identify a property, street address, or any person
Any identifying features including street numbers, signage, or distinctive landscaping are obscured or the photograph is not used

If a photograph of your property has been published and you would like it removed please contact us and we will action your request promptly.

8. Reports — Once Delivered

Reports prepared by Kel Building Consultants are prepared for the client who engaged us. Once a report has been delivered to you it is your document to use as you see fit — including forwarding it to builders, insurers, lawyers, courts, or tribunals as required for your purposes. We are not responsible for how a report is used after delivery to the client.

We may be required to produce records including reports in response to a court order, subpoena, or regulatory requirement. In that event we will comply with the legal obligation and notify the client where we are permitted to do so.

9. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information, engagement records, inspection reports, and photographs for a period of five years from the date of the engagement or last contact. After five years records are securely deleted unless there is an active legal matter or dispute that requires us to retain them for longer.

The reason for a five year retention period is that building defects and disputes can emerge years after an inspection is carried out, and our records and photographs may be the evidence needed to resolve them. If you would like to know what we hold about you or request deletion of your records before the five year period please contact us using the details at the end of this policy.

10. Who Else Sees Your Information

We do not disclose your personal information to third parties except in the following circumstances:

To service providers who operate our systems — including Wix (website and forms), Google Workspace (email), and any inspection or practice management software we use — solely for the purpose of those services being provided to us
To parties you ask us to deal with on your behalf — such as your solicitor, conveyancer, or builder — when you direct us to do so
To courts, tribunals, or regulators when required by law

Each of these service providers operates under their own privacy policies which govern their handling of information. We share only what is necessary for the service to be provided.

11. Industry Updates and Marketing Communications

If you have subscribed to our industry updates mailing list you have given your consent to receive building industry updates, technical insights, and articles from Kel Building Consultants. You may unsubscribe at any time by:

Clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send you
Emailing us at info@kelbuildconsult.com.au with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line

We will process your unsubscribe request within five business days. We do not add enquiry contacts to our mailing list without their explicit consent.

12. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Our website is served over HTTPS and hosted on the Wix platform which maintains its own security measures.

No internet transmission or electronic storage system is completely secure. If we become aware of a security incident that has resulted in personal information being exposed we will notify the affected individuals and, where required, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as soon as reasonably practicable.

13. Access, Correction, and Deletion

You have the right to request:

A copy of the personal information we hold about you
Correction of any information that is inaccurate, out of date, or incomplete
Deletion of your information subject to our retention obligations described in section 9

To make a request please email info@kelbuildconsult.com.au with "Privacy Request" in the subject line. We will acknowledge your request within 7 days and provide a written response within 30 days.

Please note that a professional opinion or finding honestly reached is not inaccurate simply because you disagree with it. If you request a correction to a professional opinion and we decline, you may ask us to attach a written statement of your disagreement to the record and we will do so.

There is no charge for making a privacy request.

14. Complaints

If you believe we have mishandled your personal information please contact us:

Email: info@kelbuildconsult.com.au
Subject line: Privacy Complaint
Phone: 1300 760 117

Please tell us what happened and what you would like us to do about it. We will acknowledge your complaint within 7 days and provide a written response within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, the date at the top of this page will be updated to reflect the new version. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. If you would like a copy of this policy in another format please contact us and we will provide one.

16. Contact Us

For any privacy related enquiries please contact:

Ante Kelic
Kel Building Consultants
ABN 86 699 117 648
Email: info@kelbuildconsult.com.au
Phone: 1300 760 117
Website: kelbuildconsult.com.au