Coastal Niche Gardens — AI Policy
Last updated: 15 October 2026
1. Why We Have This Policy
At Coastal Niche Gardens, we believe in doing things properly, being honest about how we work, and treating people with respect.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a useful tool for supporting some of the behind-the-scenes work involved in running a business. We may use AI to help with things like writing, brainstorming and administrative tasks, while keeping our focus on what matters most: creating and caring for outdoor spaces that people can enjoy.
This policy explains how we use AI, the boundaries we put around it, and how we protect the trust our clients place in us.
2. Our Responsible AI Principles
Our approach to AI reflects the same values we bring to our gardening work.
Honesty first. We aim to be open about how AI supports our business. We won't knowingly use it to mislead our clients or misrepresent our work.
People come first. AI is a tool to support our work, not a replacement for genuine communication, personal service or professional judgement.
Experience matters. Our gardening advice and decisions are guided by practical experience, horticultural knowledge and an understanding of each garden's needs. AI does not replace that expertise.
Privacy is important. We take care with personal and confidential information and avoid entering identifiable client information into AI tools, without an appropriate business need and suitable safeguards in place.
Quality over convenience. AI-generated information is not automatically accurate. We take responsibility for checking information before relying on it or sharing it with clients.
Use it thoughtfully. We use AI where it offers practical value, not simply because the technology is available.
3. What We Use AI For
AI may assist us with selected business and administrative tasks, including:
Drafting or refining website content, FAQs and service descriptions.
Brainstorming ideas for social media posts, newsletters and other marketing materials.
Improving spelling, grammar, readability and communication.
Organising general business information and developing administrative documents.
Researching general topics and helping us structure information for further review.
Image creation for social media and marketing purposes.
These tools help us work more efficiently, leaving us more time to focus on the gardens and clients we care for.
Any use of AI remains subject to our judgement and the need to check information for accuracy and suitability.
4. The AI Tools We Use
We may use AI-powered tools to support our writing, content development and administrative work.
Writing and business support - ChatGPT & Claude
Research - Perplexity & Claude
Image creation - Meta AI, Chat GPT, Canva AI
Video editing - CapCut
Email & Scheduling - Live Workspace
Presentation & Design - Canva (AI features)
We use the above tools to assist with a variety of tasks such as brainstorming content ideas, drafting and refining website copy, preparing FAQs, social media, marketing and developing business documents.
AI tools and their capabilities may change over time. If we introduce other tools, we will consider their suitability, privacy practices and terms of use before using them for business purposes.
We do not assume that information entered into a third-party AI tool is automatically private. We consider the information being shared and the provider's relevant privacy and data-handling terms.
5. What We Do Not Use AI For
There are boundaries to how we use this technology.
We do not use AI as a substitute for the hands-on horticultural experience, professional judgement and personal accountability needed to care for your garden.
In particular:
We do not rely on AI to make decisions about plant health, garden conditions, site safety or the suitability of particular treatments.
We do not use AI to replace our own assessment of a property or the specific needs of a garden.
We do not use AI to generate client garden images. All photos used to represent our workmanship, are real and true gardens.
We do not knowingly upload confidential client information, identifiable property details or private client communications into AI tools without an appropriate business need and suitable safeguards.
We do not use AI to deliberately create misleading claims about our qualifications, experience, services or completed work.
We do not use AI to impersonate clients, suppliers or other people.
We do not knowingly use AI-generated material to infringe another person's copyright or misuse their personal information.
Where a task requires specialist advice, an on-site assessment or further verification, we will use appropriate professional judgement rather than treating an AI response as the final answer.
6. How We Handle Client Data
Our clients trust us with information about their gardens, properties and service arrangements. We take that responsibility seriously.
When using AI tools, we aim to:
Use general or de-identified information wherever practical.
Avoid entering names, contact details, property addresses, access instructions, private correspondence or other identifiable client information unless genuinely necessary and appropriately protected.
Check the privacy and data-handling arrangements of relevant providers before sharing personal information with them.
Take reasonable steps to protect information from misuse, loss or unauthorised access.
Retain and handle personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable legal obligations.
We do not sell clients' personal information to AI providers. Where a third-party tool is used, its handling of any information provided to it may also be governed by its own terms and privacy policy.
For more information about how we collect, use, store and protect personal information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
7. Copyright and Ownership
We respect the work, ideas and intellectual property of other people and businesses.
Content created for Coastal Niche Gardens may involve a combination of our own knowledge and experience, original writing, third-party materials and AI-assisted drafting.
We review and adapt AI-assisted material to ensure it is appropriate for our business, reflects our values and does not knowingly misrepresent our services.
We do not assume that all AI-generated content is automatically original, exclusive or protected by copyright. Ownership and permitted use may depend on the material involved, applicable law and the terms of the relevant AI tool.
We also expect any images, text or other material used in our marketing to be obtained or used appropriately.
8. Transparency and Labelling
We believe in being straightforward with our clients.
We may use AI to help prepare or refine content without labelling every piece of routine business writing as AI-assisted. However, we will not knowingly present AI-generated material in a way that creates a misleading impression.
For example, we will not deliberately present an AI-generated garden image as a photograph of a real Coastal Niche Gardens project.
Where the use of AI could materially affect how information, images or other content should be understood, we will consider whether clear disclosure is appropriate or required.
Our aim is simple: what we say and show should reflect our business honestly.
9. Review Date and Contact
AI technology and its associated risks continue to evolve. We may review and update this policy as our business practices, tools or relevant legal requirements change.
The latest version will be made available on our website.
If you have questions about this policy or how Coastal Niche Gardens uses AI, please get in touch.
Coastal Niche Gardens
PO Box 1091, Kingscliff LPO, NSW 2487
Phone: 0403 913 911
Email: coastalnichegardens@live.com.au
Dream it. Build it. Grow it.