Privacy Policy

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

National Clearance Australia recognises the importance of protecting the personal information entrusted to us. We are dedicated to handling your data responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with Australian privacy law.

This commitment extends to every interaction — from the moment you visit our Website through to the secure storage and eventual destruction of your information. We want you to understand precisely how your data is used, who may access it, and what controls you have over it.

2. Applicable Privacy Legislation

National Clearance Australia is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) ("Privacy Act"). The APPs govern how organisations that meet the criteria of an "APP entity" must handle, use, and manage personal information.

The APPs establish requirements in the following areas:

In addition to our obligations under the Privacy Act, we maintain an active engagement with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), the body responsible for administering privacy advice, investigations, complaints, and compliance under the Privacy Act.

3. Types of Personal Information We Collect

Under the Privacy Act, "personal information" means any information or opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether or not the information is true and whether or not it is recorded in a material form.

Depending on the nature of your interaction with us, the personal information we collect may include:

• Identity details: Full name, former names, gender, date of birth
• Contact information: Residential address, postal address, email address, telephone number
• Address history: Previous residential addresses as required for criminal history screening
• Employment information: Current and previous employer details, job titles, and industry
• Identity documents: Copies of government-issued identification such as passports, driver's licences, birth certificates, Medicare cards, citizenship certificates, or ImmiCards
• Biometric data: A selfie photograph used for identity verification purposes
• Transaction records: Your order history, payment details, and service requests
• Website usage data: Pages visited, time spent on the site, and browsing behaviour (see Section 12 — Cookies)
• Communications: Records of correspondence, support enquiries, phone calls, and feedback

In every case, we only collect information that is reasonably necessary for one or more of our functions or activities. We will not collect personal information beyond what is required for the specific service you have requested.

4. How We Collect and Store Your Information

4.1 Collection Methods

Wherever reasonable and practicable, we collect your personal information directly from you. This typically occurs when you:

• Create an account on our Website
• Submit an application for a criminal history check
• Contact our support team by phone, email, or live chat
• Provide feedback or respond to a survey
• Interact with us through social media platforms

We may monitor and record communications with us (including email and telephone) for security, dispute resolution, quality assurance, and training purposes.

4.2 Storage

Personal information is held electronically using secure, encrypted systems. Our primary database, where all verified records are maintained, is hosted within Australia. We implement a comprehensive range of measures to protect the security of stored information (see Section 11 — Information Security).

We take active steps to destroy or de-identify personal information once it is no longer required for any lawful purpose, in accordance with our data retention policies and regulatory obligations.

We will take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information we collect, use, or disclose is accurate, complete, and current.

5. Why We Collect Your Personal Information

5.1 Individual Applicants

If you are an individual using our services, we collect your personal information for the following primary purposes:

1. To verify and validate the information you have provided, and to cross-check it against information obtained from authorised third-party sources;
2. To process your criminal history check application and prepare your Screening Results Report;
3. To facilitate the secure sharing of your results with organisations you authorise through our platform;
4. To administer your account and deliver the services you have requested;
5. To communicate with you regarding your application, account, or our services;
6. To understand customer needs and continuously improve our products and services;
7. To prevent fraud, protect against data loss, and ensure the security of our systems; and
8. To maintain the security of our Website and to understand which areas are most relevant to visitors (see Section 12 — Cookies).

5.2 Business and Organisational Users

If you are a business or organisational user, we additionally collect personal information to:

1. Comply with our legal obligations to identify individuals who access personal information within our systems;
2. Administer and provide services to you and your organisation; and
3. Manage your organisation's account and user permissions on our platform.

All information is collected lawfully, fairly, and through non-intrusive means.

6. When We May Disclose Your Information

National Clearance Australia will only disclose your personal information in connection with the professional services we provide. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

There are circumstances where disclosure is necessary to deliver our services:

1. Identity verification: We may disclose identity details to government agencies through the Document Verification Service (DVS) or other authorised verification systems in order to confirm your identity;
2. Criminal history screening: Personal information is provided to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) and relevant police agencies to conduct the Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check;
3. Authorised sharing: When you choose to share your results with a Registered Organisation through our platform, your information will be transmitted to that organisation;
4. Service providers: We may engage trusted third-party service providers (located within Australia) who assist in operating our platform and delivering our services. These providers are contractually bound to handle your information securely and only for the purposes specified;
5. Legal obligations: In certain circumstances, we may be required by law to disclose your personal information to government authorities, regulators, or law enforcement agencies.

If we have asked you to verify specific information (such as employment references), it may be necessary to share confirmation of that verification with the requesting party.

7. The NCCHC and ACIC Accreditation

The Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) — previously most commonly known as a National Police Check (NPC) — is the official criminal history screening service coordinated through the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

National Clearance Australia is a duly accredited body under the Agreement for Controlled Access by Duly Accredited Bodies to Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks ("Accreditation Agreement") with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

This Accreditation Agreement establishes the obligations and standards that National Clearance Australia must meet in order to maintain accreditation status and access to the National Police Checking Service. These obligations include strict requirements around the collection, handling, storage, and destruction of personal information and police history information.

All NCCHC-related personal information is collected, processed, and stored exclusively within Australia. No NCCHC data is transferred overseas under any circumstances.

8. Police History Information — Disclosure and Retention

8.1 Disclosure

Police History Information ("PHI") obtained through the Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check will only be disclosed to organisations or individuals that you have expressly consented to receive it, unless we are compelled by law to disclose it otherwise.

8.2 Retention and Destruction

We retain Police History Information only for as long as is required to fulfil the purpose of the NCCHC and to meet our contractual obligations under the Accreditation Agreement. In accordance with ACIC accreditation requirements, police history information is retained for a maximum period of twelve (12) months from the date the check is issued, after which it is securely destroyed.

If you or an employer require verification of your results after this retention period has elapsed, a new application will be required.

9. Marketing and Communications

From time to time, we may use your contact details to inform you about service updates, relevant offers, or new products that we believe may be of interest to you. We may also share information about services offered by our affiliated entities.

You may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email
• Contacting us by email at info@ncaust.com.au
• Calling us on 1300 804 855

Opting out is free and we will action your request as promptly as possible. Please note that opting out of marketing communications will not affect transactional communications related to your account or active applications.

10. Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information that National Clearance Australia holds about you. There is no charge to submit an access request, and we can readily provide you with general information such as your name, address, and contact details.

If you believe that any information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date, you may request that we correct it. We will respond to correction requests within a reasonable timeframe.

For more detailed access requests — such as copies of identity documents on file, transaction histories, or communication records — a small administration fee may apply to cover our processing costs. We will advise you of any applicable fee before proceeding.

To submit an access or correction request, please contact our Privacy Officer:

11. Information Security

National Clearance Australia takes the protection of your personal information seriously. All information stored electronically is secured using industry-standard measures, including password protection and 256-bit encryption at rest.

We maintain and regularly review a comprehensive Information Security Policy designed to support ongoing compliance with best-practice standards for data protection. This policy ensures that your information is safeguarded against misuse, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure through the following measures:

• Dedicated roles: Designated privacy, information security, and ICT responsibilities across our team
• Physical security: Controlled access to our premises, with secure handling of hard-copy and digital media
• Network security: Firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and secure network architecture to prevent unauthorised access
• Authentication: Strong password policies, mandatory two-factor authentication, and use of enterprise password management tools
• Communication security: Encrypted transmission of sensitive data across all channels
• Incident management: Defined incident prevention, detection, and response procedures with clear reporting structures
• Staff training: Regular security awareness training covering best practices and threat prevention
• Background screening: All staff and contractors with access to personal information undergo thorough background clearance checks
• Access controls: Information access is strictly limited to authorised personnel on a need-to-know basis

When personal information is no longer needed for any lawful purpose, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy or permanently de-identify it.

12. Cookies and Website Analytics

Cookies are small data files that are downloaded from our web servers and stored on your device. They help us understand how visitors interact with our Website and allow us to improve your browsing experience.

National Clearance Australia uses two categories of cookies:

12.1 Analytics Cookies

These cookies track your journey through our Website, enabling us to understand which pages and content are most useful to visitors. Analytics cookies do not contain any personal information — they simply record your navigation path through the site.

12.2 Session Cookies

These cookies exist only for the duration of your active browsing session. They are used to authenticate your identity when you are logged in to secure areas of the Website, eliminating the need to re-enter your credentials on each page. Session cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser.

12.3 Managing Cookies

Most web browsers can be configured to refuse cookies or to alert you when a cookie is being placed. You can also delete cookies from your device at any time. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to access certain features or secure areas of our Website.

13. Complaints

National Clearance Australia values your feedback. If you believe we have handled your personal information in a manner that breaches the Australian Privacy Principles or is otherwise inappropriate, you have the right to submit a complaint.

We will treat every complaint seriously and aim to resolve it in a fair, timely, and professional manner. To lodge a privacy complaint, please write to:

We will make every reasonable effort to investigate your complaint and advise you of the outcome as promptly as possible.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), which can be contacted through their website at www.oaic.gov.au.

14. Further Information and Contact

If you would like additional information about how National Clearance Australia manages your personal information, or if you have any questions not addressed in this Privacy Policy, please contact our Privacy Officer: