Privacy Policy

Coast to Country Hearing Solutions values your privacy and is dedicated to ensuring that your Personal Information is managed transparently and securely. This policy outlines how we handle the Personal Information we collect and maintain, in line with the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 (including amendments) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

The APPs guide how we gather, utilize, share, store, and protect your Personal Information. They also provide you with rights to access and correct your Personal Information in certain situations.

This Privacy Policy applies to you if you are:

• Accessing or receiving our hearing-related services;
• A person whose Personal Information is collected or stored by us;
• A contractor, consultant, supplier, or vendor working with us; or
• Applying for employment with Coast to Country Hearing Solutions.
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Due to the nature of our services, we routinely collect various types of Personal Information. This may include:

• Personal Details: Your name, address, date of birth, phone numbers (landline and mobile), email addresses, gender, Pensioner numbers, Department of Veterans’ Affairs numbers, and financial details.
• Sensitive Information: Health information related to your hearing, health history, and identifiers related to cultural and linguistic backgrounds, which help us provide tailored services.

For the purposes of this policy, Personal Information encompasses both standard Personal Information and Sensitive Information.

We collect your Personal Information primarily to understand your hearing needs and to deliver our services effectively. This information allows us to provide high-quality hearing services and manage other activities such as marketing, research, and service development.

If you choose not to provide certain Personal Information, we may not be able to deliver our services to the expected standard.

In accordance with APP 5, at or before the time we collect your Personal Information (or as soon as practicable thereafter), we will take reasonable steps to notify you or otherwise ensure you are aware of the following:

• The identity and contact details of Coast to Country Hearing Solutions.
• The fact that we are collecting your Personal Information, and the circumstances of that collection.
• The purposes for which the information is being collected.
• The consequences (if any) for you if we do not collect the information.
• The main entities to which we may disclose the information.
• That our Privacy Policy contains information about how you may access and correct your information and how to lodge a complaint if you believe your privacy has been breached.

Your Personal Information may be collected under various circumstances, including when you:

• Attend our hearing screenings or assessments;
• Complete consent forms or other documents;
• Contact us via our website, email, telephone, or in-person;
• Register for our services or request information about our products;
• Provide feedback or apply for a position with us.

We may also collect your Personal Information from third parties, such as medical providers or family members, but only if it is unreasonable or impractical to collect it directly from you. We will always inform you when this occurs.

We use your Personal Information for purposes directly related to our services, such as:

• Confirming your identity;
• Assessing your eligibility for government hearing programs;
• Coordinating your care with other healthcare providers;
• Managing your service history and handling complaints.

With your consent, we may also use your information for other purposes, including:

• Conducting surveys or market research;
• Marketing our services or products that may interest you;
• Participating in research projects (with additional consent).

We do not share your Personal Information without your consent unless required by law or permitted by the Australian Privacy Principles. Depending on your engagement with us, we may disclose your information to:

• Third-party suppliers (e.g., hearing aid manufacturers);
• Government agencies (e.g., Department of Health, Services Australia);
• Healthcare professionals, legal advisors, or family members (if authorized).

If your Personal Information may be shared with overseas entities, we will provide you with details of those entities and the countries in which they are located, if practicable, and seek your consent when required.

We prioritize the security and confidentiality of your Personal Information. It is stored in electronic formats, and we implement various measures to protect it from unauthorized access, misuse, or loss. These measures include:

• Securely storing digital records in line with Australian standards;
• Limiting access to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis;
• Regular audits of our data storage and security systems.

You have the right to request access to or correction of your Personal Information at any time. Simply contact us, and we will process your request within 30 days, subject to certain legal or administrative exceptions.

With your consent, we may use your Personal Information to send you marketing communications. You can opt-out at any time by contacting us using the details below. Each communication will include a clear option for you to unsubscribe.

If you have any questions, concerns, or wish to access or update your Personal Information, please reach out to us:

• Phone: 07 4723 6610 during business hours
• Email: reception@coasttocountryhearing.com.au
• Address: 75 Thuringowa Drive, KIRWAN, QLD 4817

If you believe your privacy has been compromised, contact us using the above details. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
• Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

Coast to Country Hearing Solutions respects your privacy. We only collect personal information when it is knowingly provided by you or as outlined below.

When you visit our website, our hosting service may gather data for statistical and maintenance purposes. This data helps us improve our site’s performance and does not personally identify you. It may include:

• The IP address of your device.
• The date, time, and duration of your visit.
• Pages viewed and files downloaded.
• The site you visited before ours.
• The type of browser you use.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by websites you visit. They can track and store information about your identity, browser, or website visit patterns. We may use cookies and web beacons to monitor traffic, such as the time and pages visited, and the type of device used.

If you disable cookies, some features of our website or linked sites may not be available to you

Our website may contain links to third-party sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or potential issues that may arise from these external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any linked sites.

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in regulations or our operations. The latest version will always be available on our website or upon request. The latest update was in June 2024.