Privacy Policy
Last updated: 1 January 2025
Hopkins Ag Pty Ltd (ABN 97 702 441 969) ("Hopkins Ag", "we", "us" or "our") supplies agricultural products and farming services to customers across Melbourne VIC and surrounding districts. We respect your privacy and are committed to handling personal information responsibly and transparently. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and disclose personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the thirteen Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
1. Scope of this policy
This policy applies to all personal information collected or held by Hopkins Ag Pty Ltd, whether collected through our website (hopkinsag.site), by email, in written correspondence, in person at your property or our premises, or through our day-to-day service activities. It does not apply to employee records held in accordance with the exemptions in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
2. The Australian Privacy Principles
The APPs set the standards, rights and obligations around the collection, use, disclosure, quality, security and access of personal information. Hopkins Ag Pty Ltd is committed to complying with the APPs in everything we do, including the open and transparent management of personal information, as required under APP 1.
3. Types of personal information we collect
Depending on the nature of your dealings with us, we may collect:
- Your name and, where relevant, the name of your farming enterprise or business;
- Contact details, such as your email address and delivery address;
- Property and farm details relevant to supplying products or performing services (for example, property location, enterprise type, crop or livestock details);
- Order, quotation, invoice and delivery information;
- Payment and billing information (handled through secure payment providers);
- Records of your enquiries, requests and any feedback you provide.
We do not ordinarily collect sensitive information (such as health information). If we ever need to collect sensitive information, we will do so only with your consent, or where permitted or required by law, and only for purposes directly related to our functions.
4. How we collect personal information
We collect personal information directly from you wherever practicable, for example when you:
- Complete a form on our website, including quote and contact forms;
- Send us an email or written correspondence;
- Place an order or request a quotation for agricultural supplies or farming services;
- Enter into a supply, service or maintenance agreement with us;
- Attend a field day, demonstration or other event we host or participate in;
- Speak with our team on site at your property.
In limited circumstances we may collect information about you from third parties, such as our freight partners confirming a delivery, or publicly available sources, where it is unreasonable or impracticable to collect that information directly from you.
5. Purposes for which we collect, hold, use and share information
We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information so that we can:
- Provide agricultural supplies and farming services to you;
- Prepare quotations, process orders, arrange deliveries and manage accounts;
- Communicate with you about products, services, orders and scheduling;
- Maintain accurate business records and meet our accounting, taxation and legal obligations (including our obligations as an Australian business with ABN 97 702 441 969);
- Respond to enquiries, requests and complaints;
- Improve our products, services and website.
We will only use and disclose personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, for related secondary purposes you would reasonably expect, or where otherwise permitted under the APPs.
6. Disclosure of personal information
We may disclose personal information to third parties where necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy, including:
- Suppliers, distributors and manufacturers who fulfil orders on our behalf;
- Freight, courier and logistics providers engaged to deliver goods to your property;
- Payment processors, banks and professional advisers (such as accountants and auditors);
- Contractors and service providers who support our business systems, hosting and communications;
- Government agencies, regulators or law enforcement bodies, where required or authorised by law.
We take reasonable steps to ensure that any third party we engage handles personal information in a manner consistent with the APPs, including through confidentiality obligations and appropriate contractual arrangements.
7. Direct marketing
We may use personal information to send you information about our products, seasonal promotions and farming services that we believe may interest you. This is done in accordance with APP 7. Every marketing communication we send will include a simple way to opt out, and you may ask us at any time to stop contacting you for marketing purposes by emailing ceo@hopkinsag.online. We will action your opt-out request promptly and free of charge.
8. Cookies and website analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, remember your preferences and understand how visitors use our pages. This helps us improve the website experience. Most browsers allow you to manage or delete cookies through your browser settings; doing so may affect some functionality of the site. Analytics data is generally aggregated and is not used to identify individual visitors.
9. Security of personal information
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information we hold from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These steps include secure storage systems, access limited to team members who need the information for their role, and secure disposal or de-identification of personal information when it is no longer required by law. As no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, please keep this in mind when sending us information online.
10. Quality of personal information
We take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information we collect, use and disclose is accurate, up to date, complete and relevant. If you believe information we hold about you or your enterprise is out of date or incorrect, please let us know and we will update our records.
11. Access and correction
You have the right under the APPs to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request correction of information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. To make a request, email ceo@hopkinsag.online with details of your request. We will respond within a reasonable period (usually within 30 days). There is generally no charge for access or correction, although we may charge a reasonable fee where the request requires significant time to fulfil, and we will inform you of any such fee in advance. If we refuse a request, we will explain the reasons and how you may complain about the decision.
12. Anonymity and pseudonymity
Where it is lawful and practicable, you have the option of dealing with us anonymously or using a pseudonym, for example when making a general enquiry about our product range. However, we will generally need your name and delivery details to fulfil orders, provide quotations and deliver on-farm services.
13. Cross-border disclosure
We generally hold personal information in Australia. Some of our service providers (such as hosting or software providers) may store or process data on servers located outside Australia. Where personal information is disclosed to an overseas recipient, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled in accordance with the APPs.
14. Complaints and enquiries
If you have a question about this Privacy Policy, or you believe we have breached the APPs or the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), please contact our Privacy Officer so we can investigate and respond. We take all privacy complaints seriously and will acknowledge your complaint promptly, keep you informed of its progress, and aim to resolve it within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) via www.oaic.gov.au.
15. Contacting us about privacy
To contact our Privacy Officer about this policy, to make an access or correction request, or to lodge a privacy complaint, please use the details below:
- Business: Hopkins Ag Pty Ltd (ABN 97 702 441 969)
- Email: ceo@hopkinsag.online
- Postal: Privacy Officer, Hopkins Ag Pty Ltd, Melbourne VIC
16. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the law or technology. The current version will always be published on this page, along with the date of the latest revision. Continued use of our website or services after an update means you accept the revised policy.