OPERATIONAL STANDARD

Australian Business Directory — Vetting Framework

How we verify a business before it goes in the directory. The why is in our Editorial Position. This is the operational checklist.

WHAT GETS CHECKED BEFORE LISTING

Every applicant is checked against the seven points below. A miss on any one is a hard stop until it's resolved.

ABN verified active ABN exists, is active, business name matches the applicant. Checked at abr.business.gov.au. GST registration noted (relevant for tax-listing accuracy).

ASIC company status verified If the business is a Pty Ltd, the company is registered, not deregistered or under external administration. Director names checked against ASIC banned-and-disqualified register.

Licence held (regulated work only) Electrical, plumbing, building, gas, conveyancing, legal, financial-advice, medical/AHPRA-regulated businesses must supply current licence number(s). Verified with the relevant state body.

Australian ownership confirmed Directors and beneficial owners (>25%) are Australian residents and Australian citizens or permanent residents. Foreign-controlled entities are not listed in the “Australian-owned” directory but may be cross-referenced if relevant.

No active regulator finding Cross-checked against our Exclusion List, the ACCC enforcement register, ASIC enforcement actions, AUSTRAC penalty register, and the DFAT sanctions list.

No editorial-position exclusion Cross-checked against the named editorial-position categories in our Editorial Position doc (Palantir-aligned surveillance, predatory finance, greenwashing, etc.). Edge cases referred to host review.

Insurance disclosed For trades and services: public liability or professional indemnity disclosed. Members can see at a glance whether a business carries insurance for the work it offers.

WHAT THE BUSINESS SUPPLIES

ABN, ACN if applicable, registered business name
Trading name(s) used in marketing
Trading address (state-level minimum; suburb optional)
Director/owner name(s)
Confirmation that directors are Australian citizens or PRs
Licence number(s) for any regulated work
Public liability / professional indemnity policy number and insurer
Statement of operations — what they offer, in plain English
Declaration: no current proceedings by ACCC, ASIC, AUSTRAC, APRA, or OAIC

RE-VERIFICATION CADENCE

Annual ABN, ASIC, licence, and insurance status re-checked once a year. Listings whose status no longer verifies are paused until the business updates them.

Quarterly Exclusion List reviewed against current ACCC, ASIC, AUSTRAC, APRA, OAIC, and Royal Commission outputs. New findings added; rectified entries reviewed.

Ad-hoc, within 14 days Any member-reported concern triggers a review against the standards above. Listings stay live during review unless the concern is serious (regulatory action announced, safety risk, court finding).

WHEN A LISTING COMES DOWN

A listing is removed if any of the following occurs:

The business is named in a new ACCC, ASIC, AUSTRAC, APRA, OAIC, or Royal Commission adverse finding
The business's licence is cancelled, suspended, or not renewed
The business deregisters or enters external administration
The business's ABN cancels
Three or more verified member complaints raise the same concern
The business asks to be removed

Removed listings stay in our internal history record (not public) for audit purposes.

HOW MEMBERS RAISE A CONCERN

Any member can submit a concern about a listed business via the Report link on the business's directory entry, or by email to hello@rootsgrowinthedark.org. Reports include:

What happened (dates, amounts, what was promised)
What evidence you have (invoices, messages, photos, regulator complaint numbers)
Whether you've raised it with the relevant regulator or ombudsman

We do not adjudicate disputes. We weigh evidence against the standards on this page and act on the listing. Disputes between you and the business itself go through the proper channels: ACCC, AFCA, state Fair Trading, NCAT/VCAT/QCAT, or the relevant industry ombudsman.

WHAT THIS FRAMEWORK IS NOT

It is not a guarantee. Inclusion in our directory means the business passed our checks at the time of listing — it does not mean we vouch for the quality, suitability, or outcome of any particular job they do for you. Get a quote, see references, read reviews, and trust your own judgement.

It is not a regulator. We don't enforce penalties or order remediation. We refer you to the regulator that can.

It is not pay-to-play. Businesses can be listed without paying. We do not accept paid placement. See our Editorial Position for the full conflict-of-interest disclosure.

Editorial Position → Exclusion List → Community Trade → Trade Terms →