Terms of Service

Effective date: 1 January 2026

Last updated: February 2026

Welcome to ApprovalPath, operated by Newframe Group Pty Ltd (ACN 674 XXX XXX). By accessing or using ApprovalPath ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. About the Service

ApprovalPath is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that provides AI-powered council approval guides for residential building and renovation projects across Australia. The Service helps tradies, builders, and construction professionals ("Subscribers") identify the most likely approval pathway for their customers' projects based on location, project details, and relevant planning instruments.

Important: The Service is designed for professional use by Australian tradies and builders to assist in customer consultations. It is not a substitute for formal legal advice, planning advice from a qualified professional, or official council determinations.

2. Eligibility and Account Requirements

To use ApprovalPath, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be an Australian resident or have an Australian Business Address
• Hold a valid Australian Business Number (ABN) or be an individual trader
• Represent that you are authorised to bind your business to these Terms
• Not be excluded from using the Service under Australian law or sanctions regulations

By creating an account, you warrant that all information provided is accurate, current, and complete, and that you hold the authority to enter into this agreement on behalf of your business.

3. Account Registration and Security

• You agree to provide and maintain accurate account information, including your ABN, business name, and contact details
• You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and password
• You are liable for all activity that occurs under your account, whether authorised by you or not
• You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorised access or security breach
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if we suspect fraudulent or unauthorised activity

4. Subscriptions, Fees, and Payment

Subscription Plans

• ApprovalPath is offered on a monthly subscription basis. Current plans are available on our website
• All prices are quoted in Australian dollars (AUD) and are inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 10%
• By subscribing, you authorise us to charge your nominated payment method each billing cycle

Billing and Payment Terms

• Subscriptions are billed in advance on a monthly basis (unless you select an annual plan)
• Payment is due on the date specified in your invoice
• All payment transactions are processed securely via Stripe (our payment processor). We do not store your full credit card details
• If payment fails, we will attempt to retry within a reasonable timeframe. Repeated payment failures may result in suspension of your Service

Price Changes

• We may modify subscription fees with a minimum of 30 days' written notice via email to your registered account address
• Price changes will take effect at the start of your next billing cycle
• If you do not wish to accept a price increase, you may cancel your subscription before the new price takes effect (see Cancellation below)

Invoices

• We will issue invoices for all payments, which will be made available through your account dashboard
• You are responsible for retaining copies of invoices for your accounting and tax records

5. Cancellation and Refunds

Cancellation

• You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account dashboard or by contacting us at hello@approvalpath.com.au
• Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period
• No refunds are issued for partial billing periods

Refund Policy

• We do not issue refunds for services already rendered, except as required by the Australian Consumer Law
• If you are entitled to a refund under consumer guarantee legislation (see Section 15), we will issue a refund or credit note at our discretion

Data Retention After Cancellation

• Upon cancellation, your account will remain accessible for 30 days to allow you to export or download your guide history
• After 30 days, your account data will be securely deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy

6. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Misrepresent, misquote, or misattribute the outputs of the Service as formal legal advice, planning advice, or an official council determination
• Use the Service to provide advice on behalf of a licensed planning consultant, architect, or lawyer without making clear that you are the user responsible
• Share your account credentials with unauthorised third parties or allow others to use your account
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or derive the source code or algorithms underlying the Service
• Copy, scrape, crawl, or systematically extract data from the Service for redistribution
• Use automated tools, bots, or scripts to access the Service without our explicit written consent
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Service, its systems, or its data
• Transmit malware, viruses, or any code intended to damage or disrupt the Service
• Harass, abuse, or threaten other users or our staff
• Interfere with the performance or availability of the Service

Consequences of Violation: We may suspend or terminate your account and any subscriptions without refund if you breach this policy. We may also pursue legal action and seek damages if necessary.

7. Guide Reports and Disclaimers

Nature of the Service

ApprovalPath generates planning guidance only — not legal advice, professional planning advice, or formal determinations. Guide reports are AI-generated and indicative only.

Critical Disclaimers

• Guide reports are based on publicly available government planning data, council development control plans, and AI analysis of your inputs
• The accuracy of reports depends entirely on the completeness and accuracy of information you provide
• We cannot assess site-specific physical conditions (flooding risk, contamination, heritage significance, tree protection zones, infrastructure constraints) that may affect approval requirements
• Council discretion: Development assessment often involves subjective council judgment and discretion that AI cannot fully replicate
• Legislative currency: Planning laws, zoning maps, and council policies change frequently. There may be a delay between a regulatory change and our system reflecting it. You must independently verify that guides reflect current requirements
• State variations: Planning frameworks differ significantly across Australian states and territories. Guides are generated based on the jurisdiction of the property address, but you must verify the applicable rules for your specific location
• Not a Substitute: Before lodging any development application or advising your customer, you must independently verify guide outputs with:
  • Your local council or Development Assessment authority
  • A qualified planning professional or consultant
  • Relevant state planning legislation, policies, and instruments
  • Your own professional judgment

8. Your Responsibilities

When using ApprovalPath, you accept full responsibility for:

• The accuracy and legality of information you input into the Service
• The accuracy and completeness of guides you provide to your customers
• Verifying guide outputs before advising customers or lodging applications
• Complying with all applicable planning, building, and trade licensing laws in your jurisdiction
• Maintaining professional indemnity insurance commensurate with your use of the Service
• Disclosing to customers that guides are AI-generated and should be verified independently

9. Warranties

Disclaimer of Warranties

To the maximum extent permitted by law, ApprovalPath is provided "as is" and "as available". We make no warranties or representations, express or implied, regarding:

• The accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of guide outputs
• The fitness of the Service for any particular purpose
• The absence of errors, bugs, or interruptions
• The security or protection of your data
• The compliance of the Service with any particular law or standard

We expressly disclaim all implied warranties and conditions, including merchantability, fitness for purpose, and non-infringement.

Limitation on Warranty Claims

Any warranty claim must be made in writing within 14 days of the date you became aware of the issue. Claims made after this period are forfeited.

10. Limitation of Liability

Cap on Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Newframe Group Pty Ltd's total liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the Service, these Terms, or your use of the Service—whether in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise—shall not exceed the total amount you have paid to us for the Service in the 12 months preceding the claim.

If you have not paid any fees (e.g., if using a free trial), our liability is capped at $100.

Exclusion of Consequential Damages

In no event shall we be liable for:

• Indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, business opportunity, or goodwill
• Damages arising from reliance on guide outputs, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages
• Damages arising from decisions made in reliance on AI-generated reports
• Business interruption or loss of use

Exceptions to Limitations

These limitations do not apply to:

• Death or personal injury caused by our negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Breaches of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
• Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law (see Section 15)
• Any liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Newframe Group Pty Ltd, its officers, employees, and agents from any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, and liabilities (including legal fees) arising from or related to:

• Your use of the Service
• Your breach of these Terms
• Your reliance on guide outputs without independent verification
• Advice you provide to customers based on the Service
• Any liability arising from your professional conduct or business decisions

12. Intellectual Property

Our Intellectual Property

All content, code, algorithms, trademarks, logos, and technology associated with ApprovalPath are the exclusive property of Newframe Group Pty Ltd or our licensors. You are granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service for your internal business purposes only, subject to these Terms.

You may not:

• Reproduce, distribute, or publicly display any content from the Service
• Create derivative works based on the Service
• License, sell, or transfer your rights to the Service

Your Data

You retain all ownership and intellectual property rights to any data you upload or input into the Service (e.g., customer details, project descriptions). However, by using the Service, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive license to:

• Process your data to generate guides
• Use anonymised and aggregated data to improve the Service and our AI models
• Store your data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and for the duration of your subscription

13. Privacy and Data Protection

Your use of the Service is governed by our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms. By using the Service, you consent to our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in the Privacy Policy.

You must ensure that you have obtained appropriate consent from any third parties whose personal information you input into the Service.

14. Suspension and Termination

Suspension

We may immediately suspend your access to the Service without notice if:

• You breach the Acceptable Use Policy (Section 6)
• We detect fraudulent or suspicious activity on your account
• You fail to pay subscription fees within 30 days of the due date
• Continuation of your use poses a risk to the Service, other users, or our business
• Required by law or regulatory authority

Termination

We may terminate these Terms and your subscription:

• At our discretion, with 30 days' written notice (except in cases of material breach or legal requirement)
• Immediately, without notice, if you materially breach these Terms and do not cure the breach within 14 days of written notice

Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to use the Service ceases immediately
• Your account data will be deleted within 90 days, except where we are required to retain it by law
• All fees accrued to the date of termination remain due and payable
• Sections that by their nature should survive termination will remain in effect, including Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, Governing Law, and Dispute Resolution

15. Australian Consumer Law Rights

The Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) provides certain statutory guarantees to consumers. Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any rights or remedies you may have under the Australian Consumer Law or other consumer protection laws.

If the Service fails to comply with a guarantee under the Australian Consumer Law, you may be entitled to a remedy. For services, our remedy is limited to re-supply of the service or payment of the cost of resupply, unless the failure is major and cannot be remedied.

Our liability for loss or damage that is reasonably foreseeable as a result of a major failure is limited to the cost of resupply.

16. Compliance with Laws

You agree to comply with all applicable Australian federal, state, and local laws and regulations in your use of the Service. This includes:

• Building and construction laws in your jurisdiction
• Planning and development laws (state-based)
• Trade licensing requirements (where applicable in your state)
• Privacy laws and data protection obligations
• Tax laws, including GST reporting

Newframe Group Pty Ltd complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Consumer Law, the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), and other applicable Australian laws.

17. Changes to the Service

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service or any features at any time. We will provide notice of material changes via email or an in-app notice where practicable. We are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from modifications or discontinuation.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our Service, applicable law, or other factors. 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 the Service after the updated Terms take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

If you do not agree with changes, your sole remedy is to cancel your subscription.

19. Dispute Resolution and Complaints

Internal Complaints Process

If you have a complaint about the Service, our conduct, or a breach of these Terms:

1. Contact us in writing at hello@approvalpath.com.au with details of the complaint
2. We will acknowledge receipt within 2 business days and provide a targeted resolution timeframe
3. We will investigate and respond with our determination within 30 days (or as required by law)

External Dispute Resolution

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to:

• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) (privacy complaints): www.oaic.gov.au
• Australian Small Business Ombudsman (general complaints): www.asbombudsman.gov.au
• Your state or territory consumer protection regulator

We are committed to resolving disputes fairly and in good faith.

20. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any legal action or proceeding arising from or related to these Terms must be brought exclusively in the courts of New South Wales, and you irrevocably submit to the jurisdiction of those courts.

21. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect, and the invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

22. Entire Agreement

These Terms, along with our Privacy Policy and Responsible Use of AI Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Newframe Group Pty Ltd regarding your use of the Service and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, whether written or oral.

23. Contact Information

For inquiries, complaints, or legal notices regarding these Terms:

• General inquiries: hello@approvalpath.com.au
• Privacy inquiries: privacy@approvalpath.com.au
• Legal notices: May be served on Newframe Group Pty Ltd at our registered office in New South Wales
• Complaints: hello@approvalpath.com.au