1. About This Policy
Grid Engineering Group (referred to in this policy as ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’, or ‘Grid Engineering Group’) is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals who interact with our website at gridengineeringgroup.com and who engage our engineering services.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and store personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). For individuals located in the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, this policy also addresses our obligations under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) where applicable.
By using our website or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
2. Who We Are
[LEGAL ENTITY NAME] (ABN: [ABN NUMBER]) trading as Grid Engineering Group is the data controller for the purposes of this Privacy Policy. Our registered address is [REGISTERED ADDRESS], Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
For privacy enquiries, contact: info@gridengineeringgroup.com
3. What Personal Information We Collect
We collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for the conduct of our engineering services business. The categories of personal information we collect include:
| CATEGORY | SPECIFIC INFORMATION | HOW COLLECTED | WHY COLLECTED |
| Contact Information | Full name, email address, phone number, company name, job title | Contact form, email correspondence, LinkedIn messages | To respond to enquiries and conduct client engagements |
| Project Information | Project type, capacity, location, grid market, technical scope, project timeline | Contact form, project discovery calls, engagement documents | To scope and deliver engineering services |
| Website Usage Data | IP address, browser type, pages visited, time on site, referral source, device type | Google Analytics 4 cookies, server logs | To improve website content and user experience |
| Cookie Data | Session identifiers, preference cookies, analytics cookies | Automatically when you visit the website | See Section 7 (Cookies) and our Cookies Policy |
| Communication Records | Email correspondence, meeting notes, call records where consented | Direct communication | To maintain engagement records and improve service delivery |
| Financial Information | Billing details for services rendered — invoices only; we do not store payment card details | Invoicing process — no card data stored on our systems | Billing and accounting purposes |
4. How We Use Your Personal Information
We use personal information collected for the following purposes:
| Responding to project enquiries and conducting scoping consultations | Basis: Legitimate interest / pre-contractual steps |
| Delivering engineering services under client engagement contracts | Basis: Performance of contract |
| Sending service-related communications including project updates and deliverables | Basis: Performance of contract |
| Improving our website content and user experience through analytics | Basis: Legitimate interest |
| Complying with legal obligations including record-keeping requirements | Basis: Legal obligation |
| Sending marketing communications about Grid Engineering Group services (only where you have consented or where permitted under Australian law) | Basis: Consent / legitimate interest with opt-out |
5. Disclosure of Personal Information
We do not sell personal information to third parties. We may disclose personal information to:
- Service providers who assist us in operating our website and delivering our services — including website hosting providers, email service providers, and project management software providers — where these providers are bound by confidentiality obligations and process data only on our instructions
- Our sister firm, American Power Engineers, where a project requires coordinated advisory and delivery engineering services — with your knowledge and for the purpose of delivering the full engineering scope
- Professional advisors including solicitors and accountants — subject to professional confidentiality obligations
- Regulatory authorities and government agencies where required by law, court order, or regulatory requirement
- Prospective purchasers of our business — subject to confidentiality arrangements — in the event of a business sale or restructuring
Where we transfer personal information to recipients located outside Australia, we take steps to ensure that the recipient is subject to a law or binding scheme that provides equivalent protections to the Australian Privacy Act, in accordance with APP 8.
6. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Our standard retention periods are:
| DATA TYPE | RETENTION PERIOD |
| Client engagement records (project correspondence, deliverables) | 7 years from engagement completion (Australian tax and commercial law obligations) |
| Enquiries that did not proceed to engagement | 2 years from initial contact |
| Website analytics data | 26 months (Google Analytics 4 default — may be reduced in GA4 settings) |
| Marketing communication preferences | Until consent is withdrawn + 1 year for records purposes |
| Financial records (invoices, receipts) | 7 years from the relevant financial year end (Corporations Act 2001 requirement) |
7. Cookies
Our website uses cookies. For full information about the cookies we use, see our Cookies Policy at /cookies-policy. You can manage your cookie preferences through our cookie consent tool or through your browser settings.
8. Security
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include TLS encryption for data in transit, access controls for systems containing personal data, and supplier security assessments for third-party services that process personal information on our behalf.
No internet transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to us over the internet. We encourage you to take appropriate care when transmitting personal information online.
9. Your Rights
Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the APPs, you have the right to access personal information we hold about you and to request correction of information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. Under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR, individuals in the UK and EEA have additional rights including the right to erasure, the right to data portability, and the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at: info@gridengineeringgroup.com. We will respond within 30 days. Where we cannot fulfil a request, we will explain why in writing.
10. Complaints
If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, you may lodge a complaint with us at info@gridengineeringgroup.com. We will investigate and respond 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 www.oaic.gov.au.
UK residents may also lodge complaints with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised ‘Last Updated’ date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact the Privacy Officer
Privacy Officer: [NAME OR ROLE] | Email: info@gridengineeringgroup.com | Address: [ADDRESS], Melbourne, Victoria, Australia