0. Definitions
An ‘activity’ in this document means any Club event that has been notified in the Club newsletter, at a General Meeting or via the Club’s website, activity management platform, Facebook page, email or other messaging system.
Members refers to life or currently financial members.
Guests are participants in Club activities who are currently registered in Bilby, but are not Members.
Temporary members are participants in Club activities who have not registered via Bilby. They are required to sign an Acknowledgement of Risks and Obligations form prior to participating in each activity, unless it is a social-only activity.
1. Environment and conservation
1.1. Participants on Club activities shall abide by the Club’s ‘Minimal Impact Bushwalking Code’.
2. Club equipment
2.1. Priority for hire of Club equipment shall be:
(a) Members on Club activities,
(b) Guests on Club activities,
(c) Members on non-Club activities,
provided that at least 7 days’ notice is given, otherwise hire shall be on a first come, first served basis.
2.2. Equipment is not available for Temporary members.
2.3. Equipment is not available for Guests on non-Club activities.
2.4. The Committee determines charges for use of equipment.
2.5. Charges may vary between items but not between hirers.
3. Transport
3.1. Each activity participant shall contribute an equal share to the transport cost of the trip as determined by the formula: D x R x V / N, where:
- D is the round-trip distance travelled by a vehicle in kilometres,
- R is the transport rate for activities,
- V is the number of vehicles provided, and
- N is the number of activity participants.
3.2. The standard transport rate shall be set with reference to half the cents per kilometre allowed by the Commissioner for Taxation for car-related business expenses, for the preceding financial year.
3.3. Each provider of a vehicle shall be paid an equal share of the contributions of all participants.
3.4. An Activity Owner/Leader may vary the transport cost formula to take account of special circumstances, including bad roads, extra distance travelled by some vehicles, or unusually large vehicles.
3.5. The Committee shall review the transport rate for activities at least annually and submit proposed revisions for ratification by a General Meeting.
4. Finance
4.1. The Committee is authorised to spend the Club’s funds in accordance with the budget, as approved from time to time.
4.2. No loans or gifts other than those exceptions listed at (a) and (b) below shall be made from Club funds except upon a resolution of the members;
(a) a small gift given to presenter(s) at each monthly general meeting,
(b) a small gift presented at the discretion of the Walks Secretary to selected walk leaders at the AGM.
4.3. Any ‘material’ expenditure proposed by the Committee that is not provided for in the approved Budget for a financial year is to be referred to the members for consideration and determination by resolution at a General Meeting prior to a commitment being entered into. Prima facie an item of expenditure shall be taken to be ‘material’ if:
(a) it would cause a class of expenditure included in the budget to be 10% greater than the amount specified for that class; or
(b) it was not included in the budget and is greater than 10% of budgeted net cash from operating activities
unless there is a reasonable expectation by the Committee that there will be equivalent ‘offsetting savings’ in other budgeted items of expenditure or ‘cost recoveries’ (e.g. through sales receipts).
4.4. Notwithstanding Standing Resolution 4.3, expenditure for ‘recurring expenses’ is permitted from the beginning of each financial year until the Budget for that year has been approved at the September Annual General Meeting.
4.5. A sum of $2,000 is to be available as an Advance to the Treasurer to be used for urgent, unforeseen and unavoidable expenditures that may be necessary to enable the Club to meet commitments to external organisations or individuals. Any drawdowns from the Advance shall be notified to the next available Club General Meeting, and notification shall be accompanied by an explanation of the need for the drawdown. Drawdowns shall require the approval of the President, the Treasurer and at least one other Committee member. The Advance is not intended to be used as a means of bypassing general annual budgeting or membership approval processes.
4.6. Club funds may include receipts from sales, rentals and services provided in accordance with the Objects of the Club.
5. Activities
5.1. An Activity Owner/Leader may reject an applicant for an activity if they consider that the applicant is unsuitable or if the applicant is not a Member or Guest.
5.2. The number of participants on an activity shall not exceed 16 or be less than 4 unless the Walk Secretary or Assistant Walk Secretary has given approval.
6. Documentation
6.1. The Club’s ‘Guidelines for Participants’ are to be provided on the Club website. All participants in Club activities are expected to have read these guidelines.
6.2. The Club’s ‘Guidelines for Activity Owners/Leaders’ are to be provided on the CBC website. Leaders are to be advised that they are expected to take the guidelines into consideration in conducting their activities.
6.3. All participants wishing to take part in Club activities, except purely social activities such as monthly presentations and the Christmas Party, must confirm that they have read the Club’s Risks and Obligations paragraphs as a condition of participation in these activities. In the case of children, their guardian is required to confirm.
7. Temporary members and Guests
7.1. Temporary and Guest membership is offered to enable participants to try Club activities to determine suitability.
7.2. Temporary members and Guests, 18 years of age and over, may participate in a maximum of three activities after which they are required to become a Member.
7.3. Temporary members under 18 years of age may participate in an unlimited number of Club activities, but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is a Member, Guest or Temporary member.[1]
8. Membership
8.1. Unless the Owner (or leader) of an Activity in which a Guest participated tells the Membership Secretary that they will not support the granting of membership to that Guest, the Membership Secretary will, if an application for membership is submitted by that Guest, record them as having nominated that Guest for membership.
8.2. The Committee delegates responsibility for considering each membership application, and whether to accept or reject the application, to the Membership Secretary and other Committee Members with Bilby Member Officer access.
8.3. Completion of an activity that does not contribute to the Objects of the Club (for example, a social-only activity such as the Christmas party) does not qualify a person for membership.
Adopted May 1994, last updated October 2025
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Updated 2025-10-17