1. About this policy
This Privacy Policy explains how the Australian Institute of Quantitative Valuation (“AIQV”, “we”, “us”, “our”) handles personal information. We are committed to handling personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
This policy applies to personal information collected through australianinstitutequantitativevaluation.com.au, the AIQV member portal and workspace, and our dealings with applicants, members, clients of members, enquirers and other people who contact us.
2. The personal information we collect
- Identity and contact details: name, legal name, title, email address, phone number, suburb, state and postcode.
- Professional details: VRBQ registration number and registration year, other professional memberships you choose to tell us about, and experience information.
- Business details: contracting entity name and type, ABN and GST registration status.
- Membership records: application status, verification outcomes, training progress, assessment attempts and results, Certification Number, CPD records, complaints and disciplinary records.
- Insurance details: the insurer, policy number and expiry date you provide so we can confirm cover is current. We do not receive your full insurance application.
- Payment information: payments are processed by Stripe. We receive confirmation of payment, the amount and a transaction reference; we do not receive or store your full card details.
- Valuation files (once the workspace is available): client and property information, engagement acceptance records and the Evidence Appendix for each assessment.
- Technical information: IP address, browser type and pages accessed, recorded in server and security logs.
- Communications: enquiries, complaints and correspondence you send us.
We do not seek to collect sensitive information (such as health information). If sensitive information is necessary — for example, to consider a CPD exemption on health grounds — we will collect it only with your consent.
3. How we collect it
We collect personal information directly from you when you apply for membership, use the portal, contact us or make a complaint. We also collect information from publicly available sources — in particular the public register of the Valuers Registration Board of Queensland — to verify registration, and from our payment processor, our insurance partner (about whether a policy is current) and people who make complaints.
You can browse our website without identifying yourself. You can make a general enquiry using a pseudonym, but we cannot process a membership application anonymously.
4. Why we collect, use and hold it
- to assess your eligibility and verify your VRBQ registration;
- to process your enrolment payment and issue receipts and tax invoices;
- to provide training, administer the competency assessment and issue your Certification Number and certificate;
- to maintain the public register of certified valuers (where you consent);
- to confirm professional indemnity cover is current and control access to the AIQV workspace;
- to allocate assignments and operate the workspace and report engine;
- to administer CPD, renewals and reminders;
- to handle complaints, quality reviews and disciplinary matters;
- to communicate with you about your membership and, if you agree, news and events;
- to secure our systems, prevent fraud and comply with our legal obligations.
If you do not provide the information we request, we may be unable to process your application or provide our services.
5. Automated decisions
Some decisions are made, or substantially assisted, by computer programs using your personal information:
- Your competency assessment is marked automatically against a fixed answer key, and your result determines whether you can be certified.
- Once you have passed and our compliance team has verified your VRBQ registration, your Certification Number is issued automatically.
- Access to the AIQV workspace is enabled or suspended automatically based on whether your certification and professional indemnity policy are current.
- Renewal reminders are generated automatically from your expiry dates.
VRBQ verification and all disciplinary decisions are made by people. If you think an automated decision is wrong, contact us and a person will review it.
6. Who we disclose it to
- Members of the public, through the public register — your name, Certification Number, VRBQ registration number, suburb and state and certification status — only if you consent when you apply. You can withdraw consent at any time.
- Our AFSL-licensed insurance partner and the insurer, to the extent needed to confirm your cover is current, and only with your authority.
- Clients who engage you through the AIQV workspace, who will see your name and credentials on reports.
- Service providers who help us operate, including cloud hosting (Amazon Web Services, Sydney region), email delivery, and payment processing (Stripe). They may only use the information to provide services to us.
- The Valuers Registration Board of Queensland or another regulator, where we are required or authorised by law, or where a complaint raises conduct that may be a matter for the regulator.
- Professional advisers, and any other person where required or authorised by law.
We do not sell personal information and we do not disclose it for third-party marketing.
7. Overseas disclosure
Our website, portal and member records are hosted in Australia. Some service providers may store or access limited information overseas — in particular, Stripe processes payment information in the United States and other countries where it operates. We take reasonable steps to ensure overseas recipients handle personal information consistently with the APPs.
8. Storage and security
We store personal information electronically with encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access controls, and logging. Portal sign-in uses single-use email links and secure, HTTP-only session cookies. Access to member records is restricted to authorised compliance staff.
We retain membership, training, certification, complaint and valuation records for at least seven years after membership ends or the relevant assessment is completed, because those records may be needed for audit, tax review or claims. After that, we destroy or de-identify information we no longer need.
9. Data breaches
If a data breach is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
11. Direct marketing
We will send you news, event and CPD information only if you opt in. Every marketing email includes a way to unsubscribe. Membership administration messages (such as renewal reminders) are not marketing and will continue while you are a member.
12. Access and correction
You can ask to access or correct the personal information we hold about you by contacting privacy@australianinstitutequantitativevaluation.com.au. We will respond within 30 days. Most details can also be updated in the member portal. If we refuse a request, we will give you reasons and tell you how to complain.
13. Privacy complaints
If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@australianinstitutequantitativevaluation.com.au. We will acknowledge your complaint within 2 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner: www.oaic.gov.au, phone 1300 363 992.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always on this page, with its effective date. Significant changes will be notified to members by email.
15. Contact us
Privacy Officer, Australian Institute of Quantitative Valuation — privacy@australianinstitutequantitativevaluation.com.au