This Privacy Policy explains how Farmwork4u, operated by Ward Exelmans (ABN 76 335 050 122) of Victoria, Australia ("we", "us", "our"), collects, uses, stores, and discloses personal information. We are committed to handling personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the 13 Australian Privacy Principles ("APPs").
Note on small business status: Farmwork4u is currently below the AUD 3 million annual turnover threshold and is not strictly required to comply with the Privacy Act. We have chosen to comply voluntarily, because we collect personal and payment information and we want users to trust how we handle it.
1. What personal information we collect
We collect only what we need to operate the directory.
1.1 From backpacker users
- Email address (provided at checkout)
- First name (optional, where provided)
- Payment information (handled directly by Stripe - we receive a transaction confirmation, not your full card details)
- Country of origin (optional, where you choose to provide it)
- Where you use the in-Platform application form: your name, phone number, a short "about you" note, your CV/resume, motivation letter, and (where a listing requires it) a document proving your visa or working-rights status
- Where a listing asks for references: the name, business/farm name, location, role, time worked, phone number, and email address of each reference you choose to provide (see 1.4)
1.4 About your references
If a listing asks for references and you provide them through the application form, we collect that reference's contact details from you, not from the reference themselves. By submitting a reference, you confirm you have their permission to share their details with us and with the employer you're applying to, and you consent to Farmwork4u also using those details to contact that business directly about listing their own farm work on the Platform (see 3(i)). You can withdraw this consent for a specific reference at any time by emailing us.
1.2 From employer users
- Contact name and role
- Business or farm name
- Farm location (region, postcode)
- Phone number and email
- ABN, where provided
- Information about the work offered (crop type, accommodation, pay, hiring periods, visa eligibility statements)
- Photos of the farm or business, where provided
1.3 Automatically
- Basic analytics data (pages visited, approximate location, device type, referrer) - collected via standard web analytics tools.
- Cookies set by the Platform and by Stripe for the purpose of completing payments.
We do not deliberately collect sensitive information as defined under the Privacy Act (such as health, racial, religious, or political information). Please do not send us this kind of information.
2. How we collect it
- Directly from you when you pay for access, fill out the employer listing form, or email us.
- From Stripe when you complete a purchase.
- Automatically through cookies and analytics when you use the Platform.
3. Why we collect it and how we use it
We use personal information to:
- (a) provide you with access to the directory after payment;
- (b) publish employer listings on the directory;
- (c) communicate with you about your account, your listing, or updates to the service;
- (d) respond to questions, support requests, or complaints;
- (e) improve the Platform (e.g. understanding which listings are most useful);
- (f) detect and prevent fraud, scam listings, or misuse of the service;
- (g) comply with our legal obligations;
- (h) forward your application materials (CV, motivation letter, visa document, references, and any other details you submit) to the employer whose listing you apply to;
- (i) with your consent, contact a reference you provide about listing their own farm work on the Platform in future;
- (j) with an employer's consent (given by submitting photos with a listing), publish and use those photos on the Platform and in Farmwork4u's own promotional materials, including our website and social media channels.
We will not use your personal information for any other purpose without your consent, unless required or permitted by law.
4. Who we share it with
We share personal information only with:
- Stripe - your name, email, and payment data are handled directly by Stripe under their privacy policy.
- Airtable (database hosting) - we store listing information and user records in Airtable.
- Cloudflare (website hosting and backend) - we use Cloudflare Pages and Cloudflare Workers to deliver the Platform.
- Resend (transactional email) - used to send account, payment, and application-related emails, including forwarding your application materials.
- The employer you apply to - if you use the in-Platform application form, your application details and any attached documents (CV, motivation letter, visa document, references) are sent directly to that employer.
- Service providers we may use in future (e.g. analytics) - only as needed to operate the Platform.
- Social media platforms (e.g. Meta/Facebook) - where an employer submits photos with their listing, we may post them on Farmwork4u's own social media pages to promote the listing or the Platform.
We do not sell personal information to third parties, advertisers, or data brokers, and we do not share personal information with third parties for their own marketing purposes. The one exception is employer-submitted photos, which we may use in Farmwork4u's own promotional materials as described above — this is our marketing, not a third party's, and the employer can ask us to stop at any time (see 9.4 of our Terms). Note: employer contact details are displayed to paying backpacker users as the intended function of the directory — employers consent to this when submitting a listing.
5. Overseas storage and disclosure
Some of our service providers are based outside Australia. In particular:
- Stripe is based in the United States.
- Airtable is based in the United States.
- Cloudflare operates a global network, with data processed across multiple countries.
By using the Platform, you consent to your personal information being transferred to, stored in, or processed in countries outside Australia, including the United States. We take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas recipients handle your personal information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles, including by relying on contractual protections where available. However, you acknowledge that Australian privacy law may not apply in those countries and that we may not be able to prevent foreign government access to that information.
6. Cookies and analytics
The Platform uses cookies to facilitate payments and measure basic usage. Most browsers let you refuse or delete cookies - note that some Platform features may not work if you do. A cookie notice is displayed on your first visit and can be dismissed once you have acknowledged it.
7. How we store and protect personal information
We store personal information in Airtable and within the systems of the third-party providers listed in section 4. We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure, including:
- using providers that offer encryption in transit and at rest;
- limiting administrator access to those who need it;
- using strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication on administrator accounts.
No method of online transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will respond to any incident as required by Australian law.
8. How long we keep it
- Backpacker user accounts: for as long as you have access to the directory, plus a reasonable period afterwards for record-keeping, fraud prevention, and tax and legal compliance (typically up to 7 years for financial records under Australian tax law).
- Employer listings: for as long as the listing is active, plus a reasonable record-keeping period after removal.
- Email correspondence: for as long as needed to handle the matter raised, then archived or deleted.
When information is no longer needed and we are not required to keep it, we will take reasonable steps to delete or de-identify it.
9. Your rights
Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you;
- Correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, or misleading;
- Request deletion of your information, subject to any legal obligations we have to retain it;
- Withdraw consent to receive non-essential communications from us;
- Complain if you believe we have mishandled your personal information (see section 11).
To exercise any of these rights, email ward@farmwork4u.com. We will respond within a reasonable period (usually within 30 days).
10. Children
The Platform is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe we have, contact us and we will delete it.
11. Complaints
If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or mishandled your personal information:
- Email us first at ward@farmwork4u.com with the details. We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to respond within 30 days.
- If you are not satisfied with our response, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.
12. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on the Platform with a "Last updated" date. Material changes will be communicated where reasonable (e.g. by email to registered users).
13. Contact
For any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, email ward@farmwork4u.com.