Terms of service

1. What this is

Outback Connections is a free online noticeboard. We publish listings posted by users (jobs, freight needs, services on offer, services wanted) and let signed-in users see contact details. We are not a broker, an agent, an employer, a recruiter, or a payment processor. We don't take a cut. We don't verify the content of listings, the identity of posters beyond email, or the work that may follow.

By using this site, including by posting or browsing, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, don't use the site.

2. Who we are

Outback Fencing & Steel Supplies Pty Ltd (ABN 76 674 671 820), 76 Astill Drive, Orange NSW 2800. Contact: help@outbackconnections.com.au.

3. Your account

• You must be 18 or over to use this site.
• You must give accurate information at signup.
• One account per person. Don't use multiple accounts to circumvent posting limits, flagging limits, or moderation.
• You're responsible for keeping access to your sign-in email secure. We send magic links to that address.
• We can suspend or terminate any account that breaches these terms, without notice or refund (the service is free anyway).
• You can close your account any time via Account settings.

4. Acceptable use

See the full Acceptable Use Policy. In short, you must not:

• Post anything illegal, fraudulent, or scam-like.
• Defame anyone — don't make false statements that damage another person's or business's reputation.
• Harass, bully, threaten, or stalk anyone via the platform.
• Post sexually explicit content, hate speech, or content that incites violence.
• Infringe someone else's intellectual property — don't copy text, images, or branding you don't own.
• Doxx — don't post anyone's personal information without their consent.
• Harvest contact details from listings for spam, marketing, or any bulk outreach. Each contact must be specific to the listing.
• Run scrapers or bots against the site without our written permission.

5. Your content licence to us

You keep ownership of everything you post. By posting, you grant Outback Fencing & Steel Supplies Pty Ltd a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable licence to host, display, distribute, copy, and create technical derivatives of your content for the purpose of operating Outback Connections, for the duration of the listing and for 60 days after expiry or deletion (so that browser caches, backups, and search-engine indices can clear).

In addition, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable licence to retain a copy of your content for legal, audit, regulatory, and dispute-resolution purposes only — for example, to evidence what was on the platform at a given point in time if a defamation, copyright, or law-enforcement matter arises. This retention copy is not republished and is not searchable; it sits in restricted backups accessible only to admin staff and our legal advisors.

You confirm that you have the right to post the content and to grant these licences (i.e. it's your content, or you have permission to use it).

6. Your indemnity to us

You indemnify Outback Fencing & Steel Supplies Pty Ltd, its officers, employees, and agents against any claim, loss, liability, damage, cost, or expense (including legal fees on a full-indemnity basis) arising out of or in connection with:

• your content posted on the platform;
• your conduct on or in connection with the platform;
• your breach of these terms or applicable law;
• any dispute between you and another user (including disputes about work performed, payment, or quality).

This indemnity survives termination of your account.

7. Defamation and complaints

If you believe a listing defames you or a business you represent, email help@outbackconnections.com.au (subject: “Defamation complaint”), or use the Report a legal concern link on the listing detail page.

We'll respond within 5 business days. If the complaint reasonably suggests serious harm, we'll hide the listing pending review and notify the original poster, who has 7 days to give a right of reply. We'll then either restore, edit, or permanently remove the listing. We may follow the “concerns notice” process under the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW). Our internal procedure is documented in docs/DEFAMATION-COMPLAINT-PROCEDURE.md.

We don't investigate or adjudicate the truth of statements; we make moderation decisions about whether content should remain on our platform.

8. We're not the publisher

Outback Connections is a digital intermediary. Listings are authored, edited, and submitted by users. We don't solicit, encourage, or curate the content of listings beyond providing forms with category and field structure. We rely on the safe harbours available to digital intermediaries under Australian law, including (without limitation) section 31A of the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) where applicable.

Users are solely responsible for the content they post and for its accuracy, lawfulness, and compliance with the rights of third parties.

9. No warranties

We provide the site on an “as is” basis. We don't verify listings, identities (beyond email), the quality of work performed by users, or any other matter that users may rely on.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we exclude all express and implied warranties — except those guaranteed by the Australian Consumer Law, which cannot be excluded.

10. Liability cap

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability to you for any and all claims relating to your use of the site is capped at AUD $100. We're not liable for indirect, consequential, special, or incidental losses, loss of profits, loss of business, loss of data, or loss of opportunity.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes any liability that can't be limited or excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. Where Australian Consumer Law applies and we're liable for a breach of a consumer guarantee, our liability is limited (where permitted) to re-supply of the service or payment of the cost of re-supply.

10A. What we are not

Outback Connections is a free public noticeboard. So that there is no confusion about the nature of the service:

• We are not lawyers, accountants, or financial advisors. Nothing on the site, in our emails, or in our responses to complaints constitutes legal, accounting, taxation, financial, or professional advice. If you need advice, get it from a qualified professional.
• We do not vet, verify, accredit, or warrant any person, business, listing, qualification, licence, ABN, or insurance. Email verification proves only that someone owns an inbox.
• We are not a broker, agent, employer, recruiter, employment agency, freight forwarder, contractor, or licensed trade body.
• We do not mediate, arbitrate, broker, or guarantee any transaction made between users on or through the platform. We don't hold money in escrow or process payments.
• We are not responsible for the outcomes of any conversation, contract, transaction, work performed, or interaction that arises from contact made via the platform.

Nothing in this section limits any rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded.

10B. What you do at your own risk

When you contact someone through Outback Connections, you do so directly and at your own risk. In particular, you are responsible for:

• Verifying any contractor, tradie, or service provider — checking licences, insurance, ABN registration, references, and prior work — before engaging them.
• Verifying any job poster — checking the business is real and the offer legitimate — before accepting work, travelling, or providing personal details.
• Anyone you meet in person. Meeting at a property, station, depot, or job site is between you and them. Tell someone where you're going. Trust your gut.
• Money you pay or receive. Outback Connections does not hold funds, escrow, guarantee payment, or recover funds in any dispute.
• Any work performed that arises from contact made via the platform — quality, delivery, damage, injury, and consumer rights are between the parties.

We are not liable for any loss, harm, injury, or cost arising from a user's decision to contact, transact with, employ, engage, hire, or meet another user, except to the limited extent the Australian Consumer Law applies and cannot be excluded.

10C. Prohibited content (zero-tolerance)

The following content is prohibited on Outback Connections. Posting any of it can result in immediate listing removal and account termination without notice or refund. We may also report illegal content to police, the OAIC, the ACCC, or other relevant authorities without notifying you, and we may preserve evidence for that purpose.

• Content that is unlawful, fraudulent, or scam-like (including phishing, money-mule recruitment, fake job offers, advance-fee scams).
• Content that defames, harasses, threatens, stalks, doxes, or intimidates any person or business.
• Sexual content, pornography, escort services, sexual services, and content depicting or facilitating the sexual exploitation of any person.
• Content depicting, encouraging, or facilitating violence, self-harm, suicide, or terrorism.
• Hate speech and content vilifying any person or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected attribute.
• Content that infringes copyright, trademark, design, or other intellectual property rights.
• Content offering or soliciting the sale of regulated or illegal goods or services without proper authorisation — including firearms, explosives, prescription drugs, controlled substances, live native wildlife, stolen goods.
• Content offering employment that breaches Fair Work Australia laws, modern slavery laws, or workplace safety laws — for example, sub-minimum-wage offers, unpaid “trial” arrangements that are really unpaid work, dangerous work without PPE, or coerced labour.
• Content harvesting personal information for spam, marketing, data brokering, or training of large-language models without explicit consent.
• Anything else that breaches the Acceptable Use Policy.

Where required by law (for example child safety material, serious imminent threats), we will preserve evidence and refer the matter to police or eSafety immediately and without prior notice to the account holder.

11. Disputes between users

We don't mediate, adjudicate, or get involved in disputes between users. If you have a problem with someone you contacted through the site — about quality of work, payment, behaviour, or anything else — that's between you. Try Fair Trading, Rural Financial Counselling, or your state's Small Business Commissioner if you need help.

12. Contact-info gating ≠ vetting

We hide listing contact details from non-signed-in users to discourage scraping. This is a spam-control feature only. It is not a vetting, verification, or endorsement process. We don't warrant that signed-in users are trustworthy, lawful, or reputable. Always do your own due diligence before engaging another user.

13. We can change these terms

We can update these terms. For material changes, we'll give at least 14 days' notice via on-site banner and (for opted-in users) email. Continued use after the notice period means you accept the new terms.

The version stamp at the top is what was current when you posted or signed up.

14. Termination

You can terminate any time by deleting your account in Account settings. We can suspend or terminate any account, with or without notice, for any breach of these terms or applicable law, or if we reasonably believe an account is being used for scams, fraud, or harassment. Termination doesn't affect rights or obligations that have already accrued (including the indemnity in section 6).

15. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the law of New South Wales, Australia. The courts of New South Wales have exclusive jurisdiction for any disputes arising under these terms.

16. Severability and entire agreement

If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest of them keep working. These terms — together with the Privacy notice and Acceptable Use Policy — are the entire agreement between you and us about the site, and they supersede any prior representations or understandings.