Membership Rules

To be an active member of Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers you must

• be 18 years of age or older,
• be a resident of the Tweed Shire in NSW, or Tweed Shire border areas such as Ocean Shores, New Brighton, Billinudgel or South Golden Beach and
• attend the Compulsory Rescue and Transport Training Day 

You will be invited to attend the next scheduled Training Day after you have submitted your form

Please indicate your eligibility to be a member.

Please read the Volunteer Agreement below and sign the declaration below.

Volunteer Agreement

This document is not intended to be a legally binding contract between us and it may be cancelled at  any time by either us or you. 

1. You are a volunteer  

As a member of TVWC, you perform all duties on a voluntary basis and you will not receive  remuneration or payment for your work, other than reasonable reimbursement of expenses (see below  at paragraph 9). 

2. What you can expect when volunteering at TVWC  

TVWC values its volunteers and we will endeavour to provide you with: 

• a written position description so you understand your role and the tasks you are authorised to  perform 

• a full induction, orientation and any training necessary for the volunteer role • respect for your privacy, including keeping your private information confidential • a Mentor so that you can ask questions and get feedback (see para. 4 below) 

• reimbursement for your reasonable expenses so you are not out-of-pocket as a result of  volunteering for us (for further information see para. 9 below), and 

• insurance to cover you for the volunteer duties you are authorised to perform (see para. 10  below). 

3. What TVWC asks of its volunteers  

We ask that you commit to: 

• Support TVWC’s aims and objectives 

• participate in all relevant induction and training programs 

• only undertake duties you are authorised to perform and always operate under the direction  and supervision of our Co-ordinator’s and obey reasonable directions and instructions 

• understand and comply with the organisation’s policies and procedures and the NPWS  licensing regulations and codes of practice for wildlife 

• notify your Co-ordinator of any health and safety issues or potentially hazardous situations that  may pose a risk to you or others and report any accidents or incidents relating to members or  rescues, phone volunteering or animal caring 

• behave appropriately and courteously to all members and the public in the course of your role 

• use any property or equipment given to you in your role safely and only for purpose of the role  and return it to the organisation when you finish your volunteer role

• let us know if you wish to change the nature of your volunteering at TVWC at any time • comply with the law at all times, and 

• be open and honest in your dealings with us and let us know if we can improve our volunteer  program and the support that you receive. 

4. Contact person  

Your contact person at TVWC will be the Membership Officer. If you have any questions or concerns  about your role, your health and safety, or if there is any assistance you need to help you undertake  your role, please contact the Membership Officer as soon as possible. You will receive a handout of  our office holders’ contact details at Orientation and you be able to see them in the members area on  our website. You will receive your login and password when your application is processed at our next  committee meeting. 

5. Role description and details  

It is important that you only perform the tasks in this role description and that you follow instructions. It is also important that you are not affected by drugs or alcohol when you are volunteering. 

If you are unsure whether a particular task or work is appropriate, please do not hesitate to talk to  your contact person. 

6. The health and safety of you and others  

Volunteer safety is a priority at TVWC. It also means that as a volunteer, you may have OHS duties  too. These include: 

• to take reasonable care for your own health and safety 

• to take reasonable care for the health and safety of others 

• to comply with any reasonable instruction by TVWC 

• to let TVWC know of any concerns you may have about safety and/or fitness in undertaking our role,  and 

• to cooperate with any reasonable policies and procedures of TVWC 

We will provide you with a full induction, including information about safety equipment and role  training. However, please do not hesitate to talk to your contact officer at any time if you have any  health and safety concerns. 

7. Training required before you start in the volunteer role  

TVWC is committed to providing suitable training. For this reason, it is our policy that all volunteers  undertake induction and/or training at TVWC prior to commencing their volunteer position. 

We will be holding the next volunteer rescue training session in two weeks. Please contact our training  officer to confirm if you can attend this session or for details of alternative sessions.

8. Volunteer expenses and other benefits  

As a volunteer, TVWC will provide you with limited reimbursement for any reasonable out-of-pocket  expenses that you incur when performing authorised tasks associated with your role. 

We do this to ensure that you are not financially disadvantaged as a result of your volunteer position  with us. These payments are not remuneration or wages. You might need prior approval and will need  to produce receipts. 

9. Insurance  

We are committed to providing adequate insurance cover for volunteers whilst carrying out their  volunteering roles that have been approved and authorised by us. 

TVWC has insurance cover under the umbrella of the NWC. It covers all volunteers between the ages of  18 and 90. 

We want to let you know that the following events are unlikely to be covered by our insurance: 

• actions that are beyond the scope of your volunteer role, or that occur without appropriate  

authority or permission from us 

• criminal activity (including criminal charges arising out of driving incidents) 

• reckless activities 

10. Intellectual Property  

All volunteers at TVWC agree to transfer all intellectual property rights and interests (including  copyright) in any ideas or materials they create relating to their provision of voluntary services. 

Volunteers are taken to consent to TVWC’s use of such creations in a manner reasonably  contemplated by the voluntary services provided under this document. As a volunteer you also agree  not to bring any claim for infringement of your moral rights in respect of that use. 

Please sign to acknowledge that you have read this Volunteer Agreement and have had an opportunity to  ask questions. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS & PRIVACY INFORMATION

TVWC Inc. controls access to personal information in order to protect our volunteers’ right to privacy. Personal details (such as address, telephone number, rehabilitation experience, training, rescue/carer records etc.) may be released to other relevant wildlife organisations (such as the Department of Primary Industries and the Environment (DPIE) and Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, as well as other TVWC members (such as Species Coordinators, Management Committee, Hotline Volunteers and other key volunteers and office bearers). 

Conditions for Group Licence 

As a member of TVWC Inc you agree to the following:   

• our core values, policies and procedures as set out in our constitution and policies  
• the contents of our training manuals and those of other approved organisations 
• our Safety Management Manual 
• the rules set out in the 2021 Policy of Sick, Injured or Orphaned Protected Animals Wildlife groups in NSW operate under license regulations and the codes of practice as set out in the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment's (DPIE) Rehabilitation of protected native animals Policy  and individual species codes of practice of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife
• to the Executive Committee discussing your membership application or renewal with other relevant wildlife organisations and current/previous wildlife care groups that you have been/are a member of  
• that all work and tasks performed on our behalf remains our property