Counter surveillance is the other side of the work. People come to us because something does not add up. A former partner who knows things they should not know. A competitor who seems to anticipate every move. A vehicle that turns up in the same mirror too often. Sometimes there is a device. Sometimes the explanation is simpler and no less serious.
We provide counter surveillance in Brisbane and throughout Queensland, for private clients, law firms, insurers and employers.
How we run counter surveillance in Brisbane
A sweep covers radio frequency detection, physical inspection of the likely concealment points, and examination of vehicles for tracking devices. Physical inspection matters as much as the electronics, because a great many devices found in real premises are not transmitting when the sweep happens. We also look at the non technical explanations, since shared accounts, retained access and family locator apps account for more apparent surveillance than hidden cameras do.
What Queensland law means for this work
Queensland licenses investigators under the Security Providers Act 1993, administered by the Office of Fair Trading. Private investigator is one of the security provider classes in section 4, and section 9 makes it an offence to act as or even advertise as a security provider without a licence. A separate security firm licence is required to run an investigation business.
Listening devices are covered by Part 4 of the Invasion of Privacy Act 1971. Section 43 prohibits using a listening device to overhear, record or monitor a private conversation, with a maximum of 40 penalty units or two years imprisonment. Queensland does permit a party to a conversation to record it, which is a real difference from several other states.
Queensland is the only Australian jurisdiction with no surveillance devices act. Optical and video surveillance is not covered by any dedicated statute here. The limits come instead from the Criminal Code, in particular section 227A on observations and recordings in breach of privacy and section 227B on distribution, along with trespass and stalking offences. That absence is not permission, and any operator who treats it that way will hand you evidence a court can still refuse.
Tracking devices are not regulated by Queensland statute, which makes Queensland an outlier. The constraints that remain are the Criminal Code, trespass, stalking, and the federal privacy tort that commenced on 10 June 2025.
None of that is a formality. The rules differ genuinely between Australian jurisdictions, and evidence gathered outside them is frequently inadmissible and can expose the person who gathered it. Working inside the QLD framework is what makes the result usable.
The federal statutory tort of serious invasion of privacy, which commenced on 10 June 2025 under Schedule 2 of the Privacy Act 1988, applies on top of QLD law and contains no exemption for private investigators.
This is general information about how we operate, not legal advice. For advice on your circumstances, speak with your lawyer.
What you receive
You receive a written record of what was examined, what was found, and where. If a device is located we advise on preservation rather than removal, because the device itself is evidence and pulling it out of the wall tells whoever placed it that you know.
Where we work in Queensland
Brisbane divides into the inner city around Fortitude Valley, New Farm, South Brisbane and West End, the north through Chermside and Aspley, the south through Mount Gravatt and Sunnybank, the east through Bulimba, Morningside and Wynnum, and the west through Toowong, Indooroopilly and St Lucia, with Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay and Redlands around it. Beyond the South East we cover the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, Wide Bay, Central Queensland, Mackay and the Whitsundays, Townsville, and Cairns and the far north.
Where the evidence ends up
- Magistrates Courts of Queensland. Summary crime, committals, domestic violence protection orders and smaller civil claims.
- District Court of Queensland. Mid tier indictable crime and civil claims, with the civil limit currently $750,000.
- Supreme Court of Queensland. Unlimited civil jurisdiction and the most serious crime, with the Court of Appeal above it.
- QCAT. Minor civil and debt disputes to $25,000, tenancy, building disputes, guardianship and review of Office of Fair Trading decisions.
- Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Family law is federal, so a family matter runs under Commonwealth law even though the conduct investigated is governed by QLD rules.
Frequently asked questions
What do I do if I think I am being monitored right now?
Do not discuss it in the space you are worried about, and do not start searching, because both alert whoever is responsible. Contact us from a different location. If you are in a family violence situation, please also speak to a specialist support service, as there are safety considerations beyond the technical question.
Can you tell me who placed a device?
Sometimes. Devices carry SIM cards, purchase trails and configuration details that can be traced. It is not guaranteed, and we would rather set that expectation before a sweep than after it.
Do you cover regional Queensland as well as Brisbane?
Yes. Brisbane work can generally be mobilised faster and at lower cost. Regional work carries travel time and expense, and we will tell you honestly whether the likely result justifies it before you commit.
Talk to us about a QLD matter
Every enquiry starts with a confidential conversation about what you actually need, and sometimes that conversation ends with us saying an investigation is not warranted. Call 1300 792 283 or get in touch for a free consultation and a written quote before any work begins.
See also Counter Surveillance in Melbourne, our Queensland coverage and our Brisbane page.