Help & FAQ

Common questions about ZoneWatch. Can't find what you need? Contact us

Getting started

What is ZoneWatch?

ZoneWatch monitors Victorian council meeting agendas, minutes, planning amendments, and government gazettes. Our AI extracts regulatory changes relevant to short-term rental operators, developers, retailers, and other property stakeholders — so you don't have to read hundreds of PDFs manually.

How do I start monitoring a council?

Go to Watch Profiles in the dashboard and create a new profile. Choose one or more LGAs (Local Government Areas), select an industry preset or add custom keywords, then save. You'll start receiving alerts when new council documents match your profile.

Which Victorian councils does ZoneWatch cover?

We currently cover Melbourne, Yarra, Bayside, Glen Eira, Stonnington, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula, Surf Coast, Planning Victoria, and the Victorian Government Gazette. We add new councils regularly.

Alerts & notifications

How quickly do alerts arrive after a council publishes a document?

Our scrapers run multiple times per day. PROFESSIONAL and AGENCY plans receive real-time alerts as soon as a document is processed. STANDARD plan users receive daily digests, and FREE plan users receive weekly digests.

What does an ACTION REQUIRED alert mean?

An ACTION REQUIRED alert indicates a high-confidence match to regulatory changes that may directly affect your properties or operations — for example, a new night cap, levy change, or enforcement action. You should review these promptly.

Can I change how often I receive emails?

Yes. Go to Settings and update your notification cadence. You can choose immediate (on every alert), weekly digest, or monthly summary. You can also set critical alerts to always send immediately regardless of your digest setting.

Plans & billing

What's included in the free plan?

The free Watcher plan lets you monitor 1 LGA with a weekly digest of basic keyword alerts. It's a good way to trial the service before upgrading.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?

Yes. You can upgrade at any time from Settings > Billing. Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing period. Contact us if you need help.

What happens to my data if I cancel?

Your account and data remain accessible until the end of your billing period. After cancellation, your account reverts to the free tier. You can delete your account at any time from Settings > Danger Zone.

Does ZoneWatch offer a trial period?

The free Watcher plan lets you explore the platform with no time limit. If you need full access to evaluate for enterprise procurement, contact us and we can arrange a trial.

Data & accuracy

How accurate are the AI-extracted alerts?

Our extraction pipeline is designed for high precision on regulatory language. However, AI can make mistakes. Always review the source document linked in each alert before taking action. ZoneWatch is a monitoring tool — not legal or compliance advice.

Can I export my data?

Yes. Go to Settings > Data & privacy and click 'Download data export' to receive a JSON file with all your account data, properties, watch profiles, and recent alerts.

How long is data retained?

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. On account deletion, all data is permanently removed. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Still have questions?

Our team typically responds within one business day.

Get in touch