Terms of service

Version: 2.0
Effective date: 9/10/2026

Introduction and Purpose
1. 1.1. Environmental Analytics (the Company, Environmental Analytics, we, us or our) operates Collective Expert, an online platform designed to facilitate independent scientific and technical peer review of research, reports, methodologies and other professional documents.
2. 1.2. Collective Expert enables qualified professionals and other registered users to contribute comments, assessments and opinions on submitted material. Comments may be evaluated by other participants through a structured peer-validation process.
3. 1.3. The Platform seeks to promote scientific integrity, transparent review processes, evidence-based discussion and constructive professional criticism. As part of these commitments all reports uploaded to this platform will have the permission from the client granted by separate service level agreement made with the company/organisation in question.
4. 1.4. These Terms of Service govern access to and use of Collective Expert, including registration, submission of reports, preparation and validation of expert comments, publication of review outcomes and payment for eligible contributions.
5. 1.5. By registering for an Account or otherwise accepting these Terms of Service, the User agrees to comply with them.
6. 1.6. The Company may establish additional policies, Standard Operating Procedures and specific conditions for individual reviews. Where incorporated into an applicable agreement and made available to the User, these documents form part of the contractual arrangements governing the relevant activities.
7. 1.7. If a User does not agree to these Terms of Service, they must not use the Platform.
Definitions
1. 2.1. The following definitions apply throughout these Terms of Service.
  1. Account: A registered account established by a User to access Collective Expert.
  2. Author: As soon as a User makes a comment on the Collective Expert platform they are added to the authorship of the document.
  3. Administrator: A person authorised to manage an Organisation Account.
  4. Australian Consumer Law: Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth).
  5. Business Day: A day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday on which banks are open for general banking business in Hobart, Tasmania.
  6. Code of Conduct: The professional and behavioural standards governing participation in Collective Expert, as published by the Company and incorporated into these Terms.
  7. Comment Validation: An independent assessment by an eligible User of the scientific reasoning, relevance and evidentiary support of an Expert Comment, undertaken in accordance with the applicable review methodology.
  8. Company: Environmental Analytics, ABN 37214572053
  9. Confidential Information: In accordance with Environmental Analytics transparency policies all information is made publicly available in accordance with service level agreements made with the client/organisation. If Information disclosed through or in connection with the Platform that is designated confidential or would reasonably be understood to be confidential, including unpublished research, commercially sensitive information, personal information and proprietary technical information. Confidential Information excludes information that the receiving party can establish:
    1. Was already publicly available without a breach of confidentiality;
    2. Was lawfully known to the receiving party before disclosure;
    3. Was independently developed without the use of the Confidential Information; or
    4. Was lawfully received from a third party without an obligation of confidentiality.
  10. Conflict of Interest: Any financial, professional, personal or organisational interest that could reasonably affect, or appear to affect, the independence or objectivity of a User participating in a review.
  11. Expert Comment: A scientific, technical or professional observation, critique, assessment, recommendation or opinion submitted through Collective Expert.
  12. Expert Reviewer: A registered User who submits Expert Comments or undertakes scientific or technical review activities through the Platform.
  13. Intellectual Property Rights: Copyright, moral rights, patents, trademarks, database rights, confidential know-how and other intellectual property rights recognised by applicable law.
  14. Organisation: A company, government agency, research institution, association or other entity that accesses the Platform or engages Users through an Organisation Account.
  15. Organisation Account: An Account established for an Organisation and administered by one or more authorised Users.
  16. Peer Review: The evaluation of a Report, methodology, research output or other submitted material by participating reviewers, using their relevant expertise and professional judgement.
  17. Platform: The Collective Expert digital platform operated by the Company, including associated websites and authorised functions.
  18. Privacy Policy: The Company's current privacy policy, as made available through its website.
  19. Publication: The authorised display, reproduction, distribution or communication of Reports, Expert Comments, validation information or Review Outcomes to a specified audience.
  20. Report: Any document, research paper, technical assessment, dataset, methodology or other material submitted to the Platform for review.
  21. Report Owner: The individual or Organisation responsible for submitting, authorising or commissioning the review of a Report.
  22. Review Outcome: An output generated from the review process, including Expert Comments, validation results, summary reports or other agreed deliverables.
  23. Reviewer Profile: A profile associated with an Expert Reviewer, which may include qualifications, professional experience, areas of expertise and other approved information.
  24. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): The documented procedures governing relevant Platform activities, including peer review, validation, data management, confidentiality and complaints.
  25. User: Any individual registered to access or use Collective Expert.
  26. User Content: Any Report, Expert Comment, dataset, document or other material uploaded, submitted or created by a User through the Platform.
  27. Validation Methodology: The published procedure describing how Expert Comments are assessed and how validation outcomes are determined.
Platform Access and Registration
1. 3.1. Eligibility
  1. Users must provide accurate and complete registration information and maintain that information throughout their participation.
  2. Users must be at least 18 years of age and legally capable of entering into a binding agreement.
  3. The Company may require Users seeking to undertake professional reviews to provide evidence of qualifications, experience or other information relevant to assessing their suitability.
  4. Registration does not automatically entitle a User to undertake paid reviews, validate comments or participate in restricted review activities.
  5. The Company may establish reasonable eligibility and professional competence requirements for particular review activities.
2. 3.2. Account Responsibilities
  1. Users are responsible for maintaining the security of their Accounts and must not knowingly permit unauthorised access.
  2. Users must promptly inform the Company of suspected unauthorised access or security breaches affecting their Accounts.
  3. Users must not impersonate another person or misrepresent their qualifications, professional status, affiliations or experience.
  4. The Company may request updated information where reasonably required for identity verification, professional eligibility, payment administration or compliance.
3. 3.3. Organisation Accounts
  1. Organisations may nominate Administrators to manage access to their Accounts.
  2. Administrators must be appropriately authorised to act for the relevant Organisation.
  3. Organisations are responsible for managing the access permissions of individuals acting through their Accounts.
  4. Each individual User must comply with these Terms of Service.
  5. An Organisation must promptly notify the Company where an Administrator or authorised representative no longer has permission to act on its behalf.
Roles and Responsibilities of Report Owners
1. 4.1. Submission of Reports
  1. Report Owners may submit documents and other material to Collective Expert for scientific or technical review.
  2. A Report Owner must have the necessary rights, permissions and authority to submit material and permit its use for the agreed review purposes.
  3. A Report Owner must identify any confidentiality restrictions, intellectual property limitations or publication requirements associated with submitted material before the review commences.
  4. Submission of a Report does not automatically authorise public disclosure of the Report or its contents.
2. 4.2. Independence of Reviews
  1. Report Owners acknowledge that reviewers may identify errors, limitations, methodological concerns, unsupported conclusions or other deficiencies in submitted material.
    1. Reviewers must follow the instructions and guidelines which will be periodically updated on the company's main website at: Collective Expert | Environmental Analytics.
  2. Report Owners must not attempt to improperly influence reviewers or make payment conditional upon a favourable scientific outcome.
  3. The Company does not guarantee that reviews will support the conclusions or recommendations of a submitted Report.
  4. Report Owners may provide factual clarifications, additional evidence and reasoned responses to reviewer comments through authorised Platform processes.
3. 4.3. Permitted Use of Review Outcomes
  1. Report Owners may use Review Outcomes only in accordance with the applicable licence, confidentiality settings and any specific review agreement.
  2. A Report Owner must not knowingly misrepresent, selectively quote or materially alter a reviewer comment in a manner that changes its substantive meaning.
  3. Any public representation that a Report has been endorsed, certified or approved by Collective Expert must be expressly authorised by the Company.
Professional Responsibilities of Expert Reviewers
1. 5.1. Professional Standards
  1. Expert Reviewers must exercise reasonable care, competence, diligence and professional judgement appropriate to their expertise and the nature of the material being reviewed.
  2. Expert Comments must be made honestly, in good faith and, wherever reasonably practicable, supported by relevant scientific evidence, established methodologies or clearly identified professional reasoning.
  3. Reviewers must distinguish between:
    1. Established or independently verified facts;
    2. Scientific interpretations;
    3. Assumptions and hypotheses;
    4. Professional opinions; and
    5. Matters involving uncertainty or insufficient evidence.
  4. Reviewers must not knowingly submit false, fabricated, misleading, malicious, defamatory or otherwise unlawful material.
  5. Reviewers must not intentionally misrepresent another person's research, methods, findings or conclusions.
  6. Reviewers must undertake activities only within the scope of their professional competence and must disclose material limitations affecting their ability to assess the work.
  7. Where practicable, comments should identify the relevant section, finding, methodology or evidence to which the observation relates.
2. 5.2. Legitimate Scientific Disagreement
  1. Collective Expert recognises that scientific analysis may reasonably produce differing professional interpretations.
  2. The expression of a reasoned scientific disagreement, identification of methodological limitations or criticism of a Report does not, of itself, constitute misconduct or a breach of these Terms.
  3. Reviewers must nevertheless comply with applicable laws and maintain reasonable professional standards when expressing criticism.
  4. Nothing in this clause excludes liability for negligence, defamation, unlawful conduct or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
3. 5.3. Reviewer Conduct
  1. Reviewers must communicate professionally and respectfully.
  2. Harassment, discrimination, threats, intimidation and personal attacks are prohibited.
  3. Criticism should address the scientific or technical merits of the material rather than making unsupported allegations concerning the personal character or motives of its authors.
  4. Reviewers must comply with the Code of Conduct and applicable SOPs.
  5. Reviewers must reasonably cooperate with legitimate requests to clarify evidence, investigate complaints or correct material errors.
Independence and Conflicts of Interest
1. 6.1. Reviewers must exercise independent professional judgement.
2. 6.2. Before participating in a review, reviewers must disclose actual, potential or reasonably perceived Conflicts of Interest.
3. 6.3. Relevant interests may include:
  1. Current or former employment relationships;
  2. Financial interests in a relevant project or Organisation;
  3. Consultancy agreements or contractual relationships;
  4. Prior involvement in preparing the material;
  5. Significant personal or professional relationships;
  6. Relevant professional disputes; or
  7. Other circumstances that could reasonably affect objectivity.
4. 6.4. The Company may assess a disclosed conflict and determine whether participation is appropriate, whether additional safeguards are required or whether the reviewer should be excluded from the relevant activity.
5. 6.5. Payment for review participation must not be conditional on reaching a predetermined scientific conclusion.
6. 6.6. Reviewers must not accept undisclosed compensation or instructions from third parties intended to influence their review.
7. 6.7. Reviewers must promptly disclose any new Conflict of Interest arising during the review process.
Submission of Expert Comments
1. 7.1. Eligible Users may submit Expert Comments through the designated Platform functions.
2. 7.2. Comments must relate to the Report or scientific issue under consideration and comply with these Terms and applicable SOPs.
3. 7.3. Reviewers must not submit comments on behalf of another person without the Company's prior authorisation and appropriate disclosure.
4. 7.4. Where a reviewer uses analytical software, automated tools or artificial intelligence to assist in preparing a comment, the reviewer remains responsible for verifying the accuracy, appropriateness and lawfulness of the submitted content.
5. 7.5. Reviewers must not upload confidential material to external automated processing systems without the necessary permission.
6. 7.6. The Company may request supporting evidence, references or clarification of comments.
7. 7.7. Comments may be edited or withdrawn in accordance with applicable review procedures, subject to reasonable recordkeeping, publication and legal requirements.
8. 7.8. Material amendments must be recorded in a manner appropriate to the review process.
9. 7.9. The submission of an Expert Comment does not guarantee its publication, validation or eligibility for payment.
Peer Validation and Review Methodology
1. 8.1. Purpose of Validation
  1. Collective Expert provides mechanisms through which eligible Users may evaluate Expert Comments submitted by other reviewers.
  2. Comment Validation is intended to evaluate whether a comment is relevant, scientifically reasonable and appropriately supported by available evidence or professional reasoning.
  3. Validation does not constitute a guarantee of factual correctness, professional endorsement by the Company or certification of a Report.
2. 8.2. Validation Responsibilities
  1. Users validating comments must exercise their independent judgement.
  2. Users must not validate comments solely for financial advantage, to favour another contributor or to manipulate the outcome of a review.
  3. Users must disclose relevant Conflicts of Interest when validating comments.
  4. Users must not manipulate validation outcomes through duplicate Accounts, coordinated voting, automated submissions or other improper conduct.
  5. The Company's published Validation Methodology will specify eligibility, assessment criteria, scoring and any applicable restrictions on participation.
3. 8.3. Interpretation of Validation Results
  1. Validation results represent the assessments of participating Users and do not necessarily establish scientific consensus.
  2. Where competing scientific interpretations are reasonably supported, the Company may retain and display those interpretations.
  3. The Company may provide contextual information concerning the number of participating reviewers, relevant expertise and limitations of the validation process.
  4. Environmental Analytics may investigate and correct validation results where there is evidence of technical error, manipulation or breach of the applicable methodology.
Fees, Membership and Reviewer Payments
1. 9.1. Membership Fees
  1. Certain Platform features or membership categories may require payment of a fee.
  2. Applicable fees, billing arrangements and material conditions will be disclosed before a User enters into a paid arrangement.
  3. The Company may change fees by providing reasonable prior notice.
  4. A User who does not accept a proposed fee change may terminate the affected service before that change takes effect, subject to any applicable contractual and statutory rights.
2. 9.2. Payment for Review Activities
  1. Eligible reviewers may receive payment for approved contributions in accordance with the payment methodology applicable to the relevant review.
  2. The Company will make available material payment conditions, including eligibility, calculation methods, applicable budgets, validation requirements and payment arrangements.
  3. Unless otherwise agreed, payment eligibility will be determined through the documented review and validation process.
  4. Payment must not be conditional on a reviewer expressing a favourable or unfavourable opinion concerning a Report or Organisation.
  5. The Company may withhold or adjust payment where a contribution does not meet disclosed eligibility requirements or where there is reasonable evidence of fraud, duplication or manipulation, subject to applicable law and a reasonable opportunity for the User to dispute the decision.
  6. Users may raise payment disputes through the Company's designated support and dispute-resolution procedures.
3. 9.3. Taxation and Working Relationships
  1. Users are responsible for complying with applicable taxation obligations arising from payments they receive, except for obligations that the law places on the Company.
  2. The Company may request information reasonably necessary for payment processing, taxation and regulatory compliance.
  3. Participation in Collective Expert does not, by itself, establish an employment relationship, partnership or joint venture between the Company and a User.
  4. The actual legal relationship between the parties will depend on their arrangements and applicable law. Nothing in these Terms excludes employment, superannuation or other statutory obligations where they arise.
Confidentiality and Information Security
1. 10.1. Confidentiality Obligations
  1. Users must preserve the confidentiality of Confidential Information obtained through Collective Expert.
  2. Confidential Information may only be accessed, used or disclosed for the purposes authorised by the relevant review arrangement or as otherwise permitted by law.
  3. Users must not disclose confidential Reports, datasets, methods or other information to unauthorised third parties.
  4. Users must take reasonable measures to prevent unauthorised access, copying, distribution or loss of Confidential Information.
2. 10.2. Publication Classification
  1. The Company may classify review activities and associated materials as:
    1. Private: Available only to specifically authorised participants;
    2. Restricted: Available to registered Users or defined groups with appropriate permissions; or
    3. Public: Approved for unrestricted public access.
  2. The applicable classification and publication permissions must be communicated before the relevant material is disclosed to reviewers.
  3. Submission of material for review does not automatically authorise public publication.
  4. Users must comply with the access and publication restrictions applicable to each review.
3. 10.3. Security Incidents
  1. Users must promptly notify the Company of suspected unauthorised disclosure, access, loss or misuse of Confidential Information.
  2. The Company may investigate security incidents and take reasonable action to reduce further risk.
  3. Users must reasonably cooperate in the investigation and remediation of incidents involving information they have accessed or submitted.
  4. Nothing in these Terms limits any mandatory reporting or notification obligations under applicable law.
Intellectual Property and Publication Rights
1. 11.1. Ownership
  1. Each User retains ownership of Intellectual Property Rights they lawfully hold in their original User Content, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
  2. Environmental Analytics retains ownership of the Platform, its software, design, trademarks, proprietary methodologies and other intellectual property developed by or for the Company.
  3. Submission of a Report or Expert Comment does not transfer ownership of that material to the Company.
2. 11.2. Licence to Environmental Analytics
  1. By submitting User Content, the User grants the Company a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, display, process and communicate that content for the purposes of operating Collective Expert and providing the relevant review services.
  2. The licence includes publication and distribution within the visibility classification and permissions agreed for the relevant review. This includes publication of expert comments to Facebook through supplied links.
  3. Public reproduction, distribution or commercial reuse beyond the agreed review purposes requires an appropriate permission or other lawful basis.
  4. The Company may retain archival copies for legitimate recordkeeping, dispute resolution, legal compliance and insurance purposes, subject to applicable law.
3. 11.3. Editing and Attribution
  1. The Company may make non-substantive editorial changes to improve clarity, formatting or presentation.
  2. Material changes affecting the scientific meaning of an Expert Comment should be approved by the reviewer, except where changes or restrictions are reasonably necessary to address urgent legal, security or other risks.
  3. Where practicable, material corrections will be documented.
  4. The Company will comply with applicable moral rights obligations and agreed attribution arrangements.
  5. Reviewers will be informed of the intended attribution or anonymity arrangements before participating in a review.
4. 11.4. Rights of Third Parties
  1. Users must not knowingly submit content that infringes third-party intellectual property or confidentiality rights.
  2. Users must have any permissions reasonably necessary to submit and authorise use of the material.
  3. The Company may restrict or remove material where it reasonably suspects an infringement or receives a substantiated legal complaint.
Publication, Moderation and Complaints
1. 12.1. Publication of Review Outcomes
  1. The Company may publish or distribute Review Outcomes in accordance with the applicable review agreement, confidentiality classification and publication permissions.
  2. Environmental Analytics does not automatically endorse the scientific conclusions expressed by independent reviewers.
  3. Publication of an Expert Comment or validation result does not, of itself, constitute approval or certification of the relevant Report.
  4. The Company may identify the scope, limitations, methodology and level of participation associated with published Review Outcomes.
2. 12.2. Moderation
  1. The Company may monitor, review, restrict, annotate, correct or remove content where reasonably necessary to:
    1. Address suspected unlawful material;
    2. Protect confidentiality or intellectual property rights;
    3. Respond to defamatory or misleading content;
    4. Correct material factual or technical errors;
    5. Investigate complaints or suspected manipulation;
    6. Address security risks; or
    7. Enforce these Terms and applicable SOPs.
  2. The Company is not required to independently verify every scientific statement before publication.
  3. The Company may nevertheless undertake editorial review, moderation and independent verification where appropriate.
3. 12.3. Complaints Procedure
  1. Any person may submit a complaint concerning material published through Collective Expert.
  2. Complaints should identify the relevant material, describe the alleged concern and provide reasonably available supporting information.
  3. Complaints may be submitted to support@environmentalanalytics.com.au or through another complaints mechanism designated by the Company.
  4. The Company will assess complaints in accordance with applicable law and its published Complaints and Corrections Procedure.
  5. Where appropriate, the Company may invite the relevant reviewer or Report Owner to respond or provide supporting information.
  6. The Company may temporarily restrict access to disputed content where reasonably necessary, including before a full investigation has been completed.
  7. Scientific disagreement alone does not automatically justify removal of an Expert Comment.
  8. Following its assessment, the Company may retain, clarify, annotate, correct, restrict or remove content as reasonably appropriate.
  9. The Company will maintain reasonable records of material complaints and their outcomes, subject to its privacy and retention obligations.
  10. Nothing in these Terms prevents a person from exercising statutory rights or using complaint mechanisms available under applicable law.
Professional Indemnity and Insurance
1. 13.1. Insurance Maintained by Environmental Analytics
  1. The Company may maintain professional indemnity, media liability, cyber liability or other insurance relating to its business and Platform activities.
  2. The existence of an insurance policy does not constitute a guarantee that every activity, claim or User is insured.
    1. At the time of writing these terms and conditions, subcontractors are required to carry their own professional indemnity insurance. This may be updated at a later stage and will be communicated via email and publicly available through the company's websites.
2. 13.2. Insurance of Individual Reviewers
  1. Unless expressly confirmed in writing by the Company, registration with Collective Expert does not provide an individual reviewer with professional indemnity insurance.
  2. Where the Company has arranged insurance intended to extend to eligible reviewers, it will provide information about the applicable arrangements, including material eligibility conditions, limitations and exclusions.
  3. Any insurance coverage is subject to the actual policy wording and the insurer's coverage determination.
  4. Reviewers remain responsible for determining whether they require their own professional indemnity or other insurance for activities not covered by the Company's arrangements.
3. 13.3. Claims and Notifications
  1. Users must promptly notify the Company of any actual or threatened legal claim, formal demand or material complaint relating to activities undertaken through the Platform.
  2. Users must reasonably cooperate with the Company and any relevant insurer in investigating or responding to a claim.
  3. Users must not knowingly prejudice the Company's or an insurer's legitimate position in relation to a claim.
  4. Where a claim may be insured, Users must comply with reasonable claim-handling instructions communicated by the Company that are consistent with applicable law and the relevant insurance arrangements.
  5. Nothing in these Terms requires a User to waive legal professional privilege or prevents them from obtaining independent legal advice.
Liability, Warranties and Indemnities
1. 14.1. Nature of Scientific Review
  1. Collective Expert facilitates the exchange and evaluation of scientific and technical opinions.
  2. Scientific review may involve uncertainty, incomplete information, alternative interpretations and professional judgement.
  3. The Company does not guarantee that every Expert Comment or Review Outcome will be accurate, complete or suitable for every intended purpose.
  4. Users and persons relying on Review Outcomes must exercise appropriate independent judgement, including obtaining specialist advice where reasonably necessary.
2. 14.2. Responsibility for Content
  1. Reviewers are responsible for exercising reasonable care and complying with their obligations when preparing and submitting Expert Comments.
  2. Report Owners are responsible for ensuring they have the necessary authority to submit material and for complying with their obligations concerning accuracy, permissions and confidentiality.
  3. Environmental Analytics is responsible for performing its own contractual obligations with reasonable care and skill, subject to applicable law.
  4. Responsibility for a claim or loss will be determined according to the relevant conduct, applicable law and enforceable contractual obligations of the parties.
3. 14.3. Exclusion and Limitation of Liability
  1. Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts or modifies any right, guarantee, remedy or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted or modified, including applicable rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
  2. Subject to clause 14.3(a), the Company does not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation of the Platform and will not be liable for losses caused solely by events beyond its reasonable control where it has complied with its applicable legal and contractual obligations.
  3. Subject to applicable law, any agreed limitation of liability must be reasonable and proportionate to the services, foreseeable risks and contractual arrangements involved.
  4. Any specific financial cap on liability will be stated in the applicable review agreement or an expressly incorporated liability schedule and will not apply to the extent prohibited by law.
  5. The parties acknowledge that a limitation of liability does not automatically prevent a claim by a third party who is not bound by these Terms.
4. 14.4. Indemnities
  1. To the extent permitted by law, a User must indemnify the Company against reasonable and substantiated third-party losses, damages and costs arising from the User's fraud, wilful misconduct, intentional unlawful conduct or knowing infringement of third-party rights, to the extent those losses were caused by that conduct.
  2. This indemnity does not apply to the extent that a loss was caused or contributed to by the Company's negligence, breach of contract, unlawful conduct or other legally attributable fault.
  3. A User is not required under this clause to indemnify the Company merely because a third party disagrees with a scientific opinion expressed honestly and with reasonable professional care.
  4. Any indemnity claim must be supported by reasonable particulars of the alleged loss and its connection to the relevant conduct.
  5. Nothing in this clause limits any liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.
5. 14.5. Consumer Guarantees
  1. Where statutory consumer guarantees apply, Users retain the rights and remedies provided by law.
  2. Any limitation of remedies for services will apply only where expressly permitted by law and reasonable in the circumstances.
Privacy and Data Management
1. 15.1. The Company will collect, use, store and disclose personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy and applicable privacy laws.
2. 15.2. Where the Australian Privacy Principles apply to the Company, it will comply with the relevant statutory obligations.
3. 15.3. Users must provide accurate personal information where reasonably necessary for registration, professional verification or payment administration.
4. 15.4. The Company may process information relating to reviewer qualifications, review participation, comments, validation activity and payments for legitimate Platform and business purposes, as disclosed through the Privacy Policy and applicable collection notices.
5. 15.5. Users must not unlawfully collect, use or disclose personal information obtained through the Platform.
6. 15.6. The Company may maintain records of review activities for quality assurance, dispute resolution, payment verification, legal compliance and insurance purposes.
7. 15.7. The Company will adopt reasonable retention and deletion procedures, taking account of applicable legal obligations, contractual commitments and operational requirements.
8. 15.8. The Company will not require unrestricted public publication of confidential or proprietary datasets merely because they have been used in a review.
9. 15.9. Users are encouraged to support transparency and appropriate data sharing where lawful and consistent with the relevant permissions and confidentiality obligations.
Suspension, Termination and Records
1. 16.1. Suspension
  1. The Company may suspend or restrict an Account where it reasonably considers this necessary to address:
    1. A material or repeated breach of these Terms;
    2. Fraudulent or misleading conduct;
    3. A serious conflict of interest;
    4. Threats to information security;
    5. Suspected unlawful activity; or
    6. A significant risk to other Users or the Platform.
  2. Where reasonably practicable, the Company will notify the User of the reasons for suspension and provide an opportunity to respond.
  3. Immediate suspension may occur where reasonably necessary to prevent significant harm or comply with law.
2. 16.2. Termination
  1. A User may request closure of their Account through the Platform or by contacting the Company.
  2. The Company may terminate an Account for a material breach that cannot reasonably be remedied or that remains unremedied after reasonable notice.
  3. The Company may terminate access immediately where required by law or reasonably necessary in response to serious misconduct or urgent security risks.
  4. Termination does not affect accrued rights, lawful payment entitlements or obligations intended to survive termination.
3. 16.3. Published Comments and Records
  1. Account closure does not automatically require deletion of previously published Expert Comments or completed Review Outcomes.
  2. Continued use or retention of material following termination must remain consistent with the applicable licences, confidentiality arrangements, privacy obligations and other legal requirements.
  3. Users may request correction or removal of material through the Company's published procedures.
  4. The Company will assess requests having regard to legal obligations, reviewer attribution, the integrity of the scientific record and the rights of relevant parties.
  5. The Company may retain records reasonably necessary for insurance, legal compliance, payment verification and dispute resolution.
Dispute Resolution
1. 17.1. Parties should first attempt to resolve disputes arising under these Terms through good-faith communication.
2. 17.2. A User may notify the Company of a dispute by providing reasonable details and supporting information.
3. 17.3. The Company will acknowledge the dispute within a reasonable period and seek to resolve it fairly and efficiently.
4. 17.4. Where direct discussions do not resolve the dispute, the parties may agree to mediation or another appropriate alternative dispute-resolution process.
5. 17.5. Nothing in this clause prevents a party from seeking urgent court relief, exercising statutory rights, making regulatory complaints or commencing proceedings where permitted by law.
6. 17.6. This dispute-resolution procedure does not replace the separate complaints process for allegedly defamatory, unlawful or otherwise harmful published material.
General Conditions
1. 18.1. Platform Availability
  1. The Company will use reasonable efforts to maintain the availability and functionality of the Platform.
  2. Access may be interrupted by maintenance, technical faults, third-party services or events outside the Company's reasonable control.
  3. The Company may modify, improve or discontinue Platform features, subject to applicable contractual obligations and statutory rights.
2. 18.2. Amendments to Terms
  1. The Company may update these Terms to reflect legal, operational, technical or commercial changes.
  2. Material changes will be communicated to affected Users with reasonable notice.
  3. Where required, the Company will obtain the User's acceptance before the amended Terms take effect for that User.
  4. Amendments will not retrospectively remove accrued payment entitlements or otherwise alter accrued contractual rights except where lawfully agreed.
3. 18.3. Notices and Communications
  1. The Company may issue notices electronically using the contact details associated with a User's Account.
  2. Users are responsible for maintaining accurate contact information.
  3. Notices to Environmental Analytics may be submitted to support@environmentalanalytics.com.au unless another contact method is specified for a particular purpose.
4. 18.4. Relationship Between the Parties
  1. Unless separately agreed or required by law, participation in the Platform does not create an agency relationship, partnership or joint venture between a User and the Company.
  2. The Company does not authorise reviewers to bind it contractually or represent that their professional opinions constitute official Company positions unless expressly agreed.
5. 18.5. Assignment
  1. A User may not assign their rights or obligations under these Terms without the Company's written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld.
  2. The Company may assign its rights or obligations in connection with a legitimate business restructure or transfer, subject to applicable law and the protection of Users' rights.
6. 18.6. Entire Agreement and Special Conditions
  1. These Terms, together with expressly incorporated policies, SOPs, payment schedules and applicable review-specific agreements, comprise the contractual arrangements governing the relevant services.
  2. Where an expressly agreed review-specific agreement conflicts with these Terms, the review-specific agreement will prevail to the extent of the inconsistency, unless otherwise stated.
7. 18.7. Severability
  
  If a provision of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be ineffective to the relevant extent without necessarily affecting the remaining provisions.
8. 18.8. Waiver
  
  Failure or delay by a party to exercise a contractual right does not, by itself, constitute a waiver of that right.
9. 18.9. Governing Law
  1. These Terms are governed by the laws of Tasmania, Australia.
  2. Subject to applicable laws and jurisdictional requirements, the parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of courts having jurisdiction in Tasmania.
10. 18.10. Interpretation
  1. Headings are included for convenience and do not affect interpretation.
  2. References to legislation include amendments, replacements and applicable subordinate legislation.
  3. The singular includes the plural and vice versa, where the context permits.
  4. References to a person include individuals, companies and other legal entities as appropriate.
  5. The words "including" and similar expressions do not limit the generality of preceding words.

Acceptance of Terms

By creating or continuing to use an Account after valid acceptance of these Terms of Service, the User acknowledges that they have read and agree to comply with the applicable provisions.

Where required, the Company may record the date, version and method of acceptance for contractual and compliance purposes.

Environmental Analytics
ABN 37214572053
Email: support@environmentalanalytics.com.au
Website: https://www.environmentalanalytics.com.au/

END OF TERMS OF SERVICE