Responsible Use of AI

Effective date: 1 January 2026

Last updated: February 2026

ApprovalPath uses artificial intelligence to help Australian tradies, builders, and construction professionals assess council approval requirements for residential building and renovation projects. We are committed to using AI responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with Australian government guidance, industry standards, and community expectations.

1. Our AI Commitment

We believe AI should augment professional expertise — not replace it. Our AI-powered guides are designed to:

• Save time by automating preliminary planning analysis
• Provide a structured starting point for customer conversations
• Help tradies look more professional and confident in customer consultations
• Support better decision-making, not substitute for it

Critical: ApprovalPath guides are not a substitute for:

• Professional advice from a qualified planning consultant or architect
• Formal council determinations or development assessment decisions
• Personal site inspections or professional judgment
• Legal or compliance advice

2. How We Use AI

2.1 Guide Generation

When you run a guide in ApprovalPath, our AI models analyse:

Inputs You Provide

• Property details: Street address, suburb, postcode, state/territory
• Project information: Nature of work (e.g., renovation, extension, new construction), scope and scale, materials and methods, floor area (if relevant)
• Your answers: Responses to plain-English questions about the project, potential constraints or site conditions

Data We Reference

• Planning instruments: State legislation (e.g., Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 in NSW), local environmental plans (LEPs), state planning policies, development control plans (DCPs)
• Zoning and land use: Zoning classifications from council planning maps, permissible uses, prohibited uses
• Approval pathways: State-specific approval categories (e.g., Exempt/CDC/Full DA in NSW, No Permit/VicSmart/Planning Permit in VIC, Accepted/Code Assessable/Impact Assessable in QLD)
• Restrictions and overlays: Heritage listings, flood mapping, vegetation protection, building height controls, setback requirements

AI Analysis Process

The AI models analyse this information to:

1. Determine the property's zoning and applicable planning rules
2. Cross-reference the proposed project against development control requirements
3. Identify relevant restrictions, overlays, or special conditions
4. Predict the most likely approval pathway (e.g., whether it's likely to be Exempt, Code Assessable, or require a Full Development Application)
5. Flag potential issues or requirements for council consultation
6. Generate a structured, professionally formatted report tailored to the state's planning framework

2.2 Data Sources

Our AI references publicly available planning data from:

Australian State Governments

• NSW: NSW ePlanning Portal, NSW Legislation Database, Local Government NSW
• VIC: PlanningPortals Victoria, Victorian ePlanning, Local Government Victoria
• QLD: QLD Planning Portal, QLD ePlanning, QLD Globe
• WA: Western Australia Planning Portal, WAPC Online
• SA: PlanSA, South Australia Legislation
• TAS: Tasmanian Planning Portal, Tasmanian Legislation
• ACT: ACT Planning and Land Authority, ACT Legislation
• NT: NT Planning Portal, NT Legislation

Local Government Sources

• Development control plans (DCPs) and planning schemes from over 550 Australian councils
• Local planning policies and guidance documents
• Zoning maps, overlays, and spatial data

Legislative and Policy Sources

• State and territory planning legislation
• State planning policies and codes
• Council local orders and heritage schedules
• Building Standards and Australian Standards (where applicable)

We regularly update our data sources to reflect legislative changes, new planning instruments, and council policy updates. However, there may be a delay of up to 30 days between a regulation change and our system reflecting it.

3. Transparency

3.1 What We Disclose

Every guide report clearly states:

• "This guide has been generated by artificial intelligence."
• "This guide is indicative only and should be verified independently."
• The data sources and planning instruments considered
• The jurisdiction and relevant state planning framework
• Key assumptions made by the AI
• Known limitations and areas of uncertainty

3.2 What We Do NOT Do

We do not:

• Present AI outputs as legally binding determinations
• Claim the guide is equivalent to professional planning advice
• Guarantee that the guide reflects the most recent legislative changes
• State that a guide constitutes a formal council pre-lodgement response
• Claim to assess site-specific physical conditions without explicit disclosure of this limitation

3.3 Clear Attribution

• Guide reports are labelled as "AI-Generated"
• We clearly identify that outputs should be verified by a qualified professional
• We encourage users to contact their local council or a planning consultant
• Reports include contact details for relevant council development assessment teams

4. Accuracy and Limitations

4.1 What AI Can Do Well

Our AI guides are generally reliable for:

• Standard residential projects in well-defined zoning categories
• Clear-cut exempt work (e.g., internal renovations, minor alterations in standard residential zones)
• Straightforward pathways where zoning rules are unambiguous
• First-pass screening before detailed professional consultation

4.2 Known Limitations

While we strive for high accuracy, our AI guides have inherent limitations:

Zoning Edge Cases

• Properties near zone boundaries, split-zoned properties, or within complex overlays may require manual verification
• The AI may misclassify a property in rare boundary situations
• Recommendation: Verify zoning with council planning maps or contact your council directly

Recent Legislative Changes

• Very recent amendments (less than 30 days old) may not yet be reflected in our system
• Council policies updated in the previous month may not be fully captured
• Interim planning controls or temporary restrictions may be delayed in our data
• Recommendation: Always check the local council website for the most recent planning instruments

Site-Specific Physical Conditions

The AI cannot assess conditions that require site inspection:

• Flooding risk zones or flood management requirements
• Soil conditions, contamination, or geotechnical constraints
• Heritage significance or Aboriginal cultural heritage issues
• Vegetation, tree protection, or native vegetation offset requirements
• Existing structures, encroachments, or boundary compliance
• Utilities, stormwater, or infrastructure constraints
• Neighbour proximity or overshadowing issues
• Local infrastructure capacity

We cannot generate reports for properties in flood-affected areas or with heritage constraints without explicit user override and acknowledgment.

Council Discretion

• Development assessment often involves subjective council judgment that AI cannot fully replicate
• Councils have discretion in applying planning policies, and different councils may interpret rules differently
• Variations, permissibility in certain circumstances, and conditional approvals require assessment by a human planner
• The AI cannot predict council responses to borderline or controversial proposals

Jurisdiction and Multi-State Projects

• The AI assesses the property address jurisdiction and applies that state's planning framework
• Projects crossing multiple jurisdictions or boundaries require separate analysis
• Cumulative impact or regional considerations may not be captured

Incomplete or Inaccurate User Input

• The accuracy of outputs depends entirely on the completeness and accuracy of information provided
• If you provide incomplete project details, the guide may be misleading
• Deliberately providing false information will result in inaccurate guides

4.3 What Users Must Always Do

Before advising customers or lodging applications, you must:

1. Independently verify the guide with your local council or a qualified planning professional
2. Conduct a site inspection to assess physical constraints and conditions
3. Review current planning instruments (councils update DCPs and policies regularly)
4. Apply your professional judgment — the AI is a tool, not a replacement for expertise
5. Flag any unusual circumstances with a planning professional (e.g., if you suspect the property is affected by heritage, flooding, or other constraints the AI may have missed)

5. Human Oversight and Feedback

5.1 Quality Assurance

Our team maintains continuous oversight of AI accuracy:

• Regular manual reviews of guide outputs for accuracy and consistency
• Quarterly audits of AI performance against known planning requirements
• Feedback monitoring to identify systematic errors or gaps
• Model retraining based on user feedback and planning changes

5.2 User Feedback Loop

We actively encourage users to flag issues:

• Incorrect guides: If you believe a guide is wrong, report it via ai@approvalpath.com.au
• Missing information: Tell us if the guide missed important planning constraints
• Outdated data: Let us know if our data is out of sync with current council requirements
• Suggestions for improvement: Help us improve the AI by providing constructive feedback

5.3 Handling Disputes

If you believe a guide is inaccurate:

1. Contact us: Email ai@approvalpath.com.au with details
2. We will investigate by consulting relevant council documentation and planning instruments
3. We may offer a corrected guide or escalate to a qualified planner for manual review
4. We will update our system if we identify a systematic error affecting multiple guides

6. Bias and Fairness

6.1 Our Commitment

We are committed to ensuring that ApprovalPath:

• Treats all Australian regions fairly, regardless of state, council jurisdiction, or location
• Does not discriminate based on project type, user profile, or other irrelevant factors
• Provides consistent guides for equivalent projects across all Australian jurisdictions
• Is transparent about any regional variation in AI performance

6.2 Bias Monitoring

We actively monitor for:

• Geographic bias: Systematic differences in guide accuracy across regions or councils
• Project type bias: Differences in accuracy for residential vs. commercial vs. mixed-use proposals
• Socioeconomic bias: Ensuring the Service is equally accessible and accurate for solo tradies and large organisations

6.3 Known Variations

Guide accuracy may vary slightly by region due to:

• Data quality: Some councils provide more detailed planning information than others
• Regulatory complexity: More complex planning frameworks (e.g., NSW) may have slightly different performance than simpler frameworks
• Model training: Our AI was trained on data from major centres; performance may vary in regional areas

We are continuously working to reduce these variations and improve equity of service across Australia.

7. Data Privacy and AI Processing

7.1 How Your Data Is Used

Guide inputs are processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy:

• Immediate processing: Your inputs are analysed by our AI models to generate your guide
• Storage: Guide records are stored in your account for future reference and compliance
• Anonymisation: We anonymise guide data to remove personally identifiable information
• Model improvement: Anonymised, aggregated data is used to improve our AI models and accuracy

7.2 What We Do NOT Do with Your Data

• We do NOT use your data to train third-party AI models (e.g., OpenAI, Google, or other external AI providers)
• We do NOT sell your guide inputs or customer information to councils, competitors, or other third parties
• We do NOT share individual guide results with any government agency or council
• We do NOT use your data for commercial purposes beyond improving ApprovalPath

7.3 Data Processors

All AI processing is handled by:

• Newframe Group Pty Ltd (primary processor)
• Trusted model providers, under strict Data Processing Agreements
• All processors are subject to Australian privacy law and contractual confidentiality

8. Standards and Compliance

We align our AI practices with:

8.1 Australian Government Frameworks

• Australian Government AI Ethics Principles:
  • Fairness: Equitable treatment and accessibility across regions and user types
  • Transparency: Clear disclosure of how AI is used and its limitations
  • Accountability: Responsibility for AI outcomes and feedback mechanisms
  • Privacy: Protection of user data and compliance with privacy law
  • Reliability: Continuous improvement and error detection
  • Contestability: Users can challenge guides and request review

8.2 Industry and Technical Standards

• ISO/IEC 42001 — AI Management Systems (where applicable to our operations)
• ISO/IEC 27001 — Information Security Management
• OWASP Top 10 — Web application security standards
• Australian Consumer Law — Protection against misleading or deceptive conduct

8.3 Sector-Specific Guidance

• State planning authorities: We follow guidance from state planning departments
• Australian Planning Association: Alignment with planning profession standards
• Construction industry standards: Compliance with industry best practices

9. Limitations and Disclaimers

9.1 What Guide Reports Are

• Indicative guidance based on AI analysis of planning rules
• A starting point for professional discussion, not a substitute for professional advice
• Subject to verification by a qualified professional and council confirmation
• Accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of generation, but not guaranteed

9.2 What Guide Reports Are NOT

• Legal advice — you must consult a legal advisor if legal questions arise
• Professional planning advice — you must consult a qualified planning professional for complex cases
• Council pre-determination — a council may reach a different conclusion
• Binding — councils retain full discretion in assessment decisions
• A guarantee of approval — even if a guide indicates "likely Exempt," your project may ultimately require approval if circumstances change

9.3 Your Responsibility

You accept full responsibility for:

• Verifying outputs before advising customers or lodging applications
• Conducting site inspections and professional assessments
• Updating yourself on recent planning changes
• Applying professional judgment and making informed decisions
• Disclosing to customers that guides are AI-generated and preliminary
• Your professional conduct under any relevant state licensing or professional standards

10. Feedback, Questions, and Concerns

10.1 Report Issues

If you have questions or concerns about how we use AI, or if you believe a guide output is incorrect:

• Email: ai@approvalpath.com.au
• Include: Your account email, the guide ID, the issue or concern, and any supporting information
• Response time: We will acknowledge receipt within 2 business days and investigate within 14 days

10.2 Escalation

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can:

• Request manual review by a qualified planning professional (fee may apply)
• Lodge a complaint with our Privacy Officer at privacy@approvalpath.com.au
• Escalate to regulators (see section below)

10.3 Regulator Contacts

If you believe ApprovalPath violates Australian AI principles or consumer protection laws, you can complain to:

• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): www.oaic.gov.au (privacy concerns)
• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC): www.accc.gov.au (misleading or deceptive conduct)
• Your state planning regulator (planning-specific concerns)
• Australian Small Business Ombudsman: www.asbombudsman.gov.au (if you're a small business)

11. Continuous Improvement

We take AI responsibility seriously and are committed to ongoing improvement:

11.1 Regular Updates

• AI models are retrained and updated quarterly with new planning data
• Accuracy metrics are tracked and published (where appropriate)
• User feedback directly informs model improvements
• New planning instruments and legislative changes are prioritised

11.2 Research and Development

• We collaborate with state planning authorities to improve accuracy
• We conduct user research to understand guide effectiveness
• We explore advanced techniques to better capture planning nuances
• We maintain transparency about AI capabilities and limitations

11.3 Community Engagement

• We provide training and guidance for users on responsible AI use
• We participate in industry forums and standards development
• We welcome feedback from planning professionals, councils, and users
• We publish insights about AI in planning when appropriate

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Responsible Use of AI Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or an in-app notice at least 14 days before they take effect.

Continued use of ApprovalPath after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact and Support

For questions or concerns about our AI practices:

• General AI questions: ai@approvalpath.com.au
• Privacy and data concerns: privacy@approvalpath.com.au
• General inquiries: hello@approvalpath.com.au

We take all feedback seriously and use it to continuously improve our systems and maintain your trust.