WWOOFer terms & house rules.

These terms explain how live-in volunteering (WWOOFing) works at Happy Pantry, run by Baldivis Community Support Inc. They include our Property Rules & Behaviour Contract. Most of it is common sense – it keeps the property safe, respectful and enjoyable for everyone.

1. About this arrangement

• You are a volunteer with Baldivis Community Support Inc., a registered charity. This is not employment and there are no wages.
• In exchange for your volunteering, we provide somewhere to stay on the property and food while you are with us.
• Either of us can end the arrangement at any time. We ask for at least 3 days’ notice where possible.
• There is no fixed maximum stay. Stays can be extended with approval, as long as you keep volunteering the agreed hours (unpaid) in exchange for your accommodation and food.

2. Your stay

• The minimum stay is 4 weeks. Your dates are confirmed when Happy Pantry Baldivis Community Support Inc. approves your application.
• Let us know as early as you can if your arrival time or dates change.

3. Volunteering hours

• At least 4 hours on each volunteering day, and about 35 hours a week in exchange for your accommodation and food.
• Never more than 38 hours in any 7 days. Some days are busier than others.
• Sign in and out every time you volunteer (at the recorder near the market until the volunteer app is live).
• You will be given a roster. Don’t skip or swap duties without approval.

4. The $50 contribution

The $50 covers your sheets and bedding, laundry, and shared household supplies (cleaning products, toilet paper, tea, coffee and similar) for your stay. It is refunded in full if your application is not approved. Once your stay has started it is not refundable.

5. Respect for everyone on the property

• Treat every person with respect – elderly volunteers, long-term residents, other backpackers, charity staff and Airbnb guests.
• When management or a senior volunteer gives a reasonable instruction (reduce noise, clean up, follow a rule), do it straight away. Ignoring or forgetting instructions is misconduct.

6. Noise, music and campfires

• Quiet hours are 9:00pm – 7:00am: no loud talking, music, shouting, gatherings or disruptive campfire activity.
• Campfires only when approved by management. Keep them small and safe – no loud music, yelling or drinking parties.
• Keep music low in common areas and don’t disturb Airbnb guests or long-term volunteers. If you are asked to quiet down, do so immediately.

7. Kitchen, shower and toilet

• The kitchen, shower and toilet are shared by everyone. Clean them after every use.
• Brush the toilet and never put sanitary products in it. After showering, squeegee the water away, wipe the sink dry and take your things with you.
• Wash your dishes straight away, wipe benches and tables, and keep the fridges clean and organised.
• Separate plastic bottles from other rubbish, and take all rubbish out of the kitchen before bed.
• No loud music in the kitchen – use earbuds.

8. Animal care

• Our animals are part of the charity’s work and income. Follow the feeding and cleaning roster and don’t change it without approval.
• Make sure every animal has food, water and a clean space, and report any problem immediately.
• Neglecting animals is grounds for immediate removal from the property.

9. Where you stay

• You may stay in your own van or car rooftop tent, the bus, the caravan or a tent – as agreed with management.
• Keep your area clean and tidy, respect other people’s privacy and don’t enter anyone else’s sleeping area.
• Don’t move or rearrange property structures without permission.

10. Alcohol, drugs, smoking and safety

• No illegal drugs and no smoking anywhere on the property.
• No excessive drinking, no aggressive or threatening behaviour, and no unsafe behaviour around fire, animals or equipment.
• Wear the safety gear you are given (hi-vis and other gear is available from the operational manager), tell us about any medical condition that affects your safety, and report any injury or hazard straight away.
• We recommend you hold your own travel or health insurance for your stay.

11. Day-to-day house notes

• Visitors: welcome during the day if you tell the operational manager. Keep them to the main communal areas – no tours, garages or animal areas. No overnight visitors without permission.
• Equipment: return everything to its exact spot. Ask before taking gear from non-designated areas such as workshops.
• Phones: restricted during volunteering hours for safety.
• Food: not during shop hours (Wednesday and Thursday mornings). After the market closes, take enough for a day or two; on non-market days, speak with the operational manager for food access or access to the cool room.
• Supplies: tea, coffee, dishwashing liquid and similar – see the operational manager.
• Problems: talk to the operational manager.

12. Privacy and confidentiality

• We help people who are doing it tough. Keep anything you learn about members, customers and other volunteers confidential, and don’t take or share photos of customers.
• We keep your application details to manage your stay, as set out in our Privacy Policy.

13. Visas

• On request, we can give you a letter confirming the dates and hours you volunteered with us.
• Whether your stay counts towards a visa (including the 88 days of specified work for a second Working Holiday visa) is decided by the Department of Home Affairs, not by Happy Pantry. Check the Home Affairs rules before relying on your stay for a visa.

14. If the rules are broken

• Depending on how serious it is: a verbal warning, then a written warning, then removal from duties.
• Serious breaches – such as animal neglect, aggression, drugs or repeated noise disturbances – may mean immediate removal from the property and loss of accommodation, without further warning.
• If you are asked to leave, we may decline to provide a reference or a letter of your hours.

15. Your agreement

By ticking the boxes and typing your name in the application form, you confirm you have read and understood these terms, agree to follow them and to follow reasonable instructions from management and senior volunteers, and understand that breaking them may mean removal from the property. When you arrive, we will go through the house rules with you in person.