*The Host Pack is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You will need the Acrobat viewer to view these files. which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe 

New Host Information

Open letter from WWOOF Australia to people with properties in Australia who believe they meet the criteria for becoming a WWOOF Host - and are interested in joining WWOOF Australia as a Host.

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Host with WWOOF Australia. Being a WWOOF Host requires a long-term commitment and should not be seen as a quick fix solution for a short-term need. We trust our Hosts not to use WWOOFers as cheap labour. Many Hosts follow permaculture and biodynamic principles in addition to using organic practices, and we assume you are not using farm chemicals as a matter of routine.

The Golden Rules of being a WWOOF Host are.

A WWOOF Host must:

-          Be growing or producing organic products. -         Be able to provide experiences to WWOOFers in organic farming/gardening techniques. -       Provide all food and clean, comfortable accommodation to travellers and students in exchange for between 4 and 6 hours of farm/gardening type work per day. -          Be an “Ambassador for Australia” providing a safe haven for Willing Workers and engage in a mutual cultural exchange. -          Treat WWOOFers with respect and consideration.

ABOUT WWOOF

WWOOF has been operating in Australia for over 30 years, and has blossomed into a smorgasbord of Australia’s alternative lifestyles, offering students, backpackers and travellers from Australia and overseas a taste of rural Australian life. There are now over 2,300 Hosts in the WWOOF Book. The WWOOF Book provides contact details, a description of each property, the work to be done, meal types and accommodation. The WWOOFer simply browses through the book, chooses a place they would like to go, and then contacts the Host to arrange a mutually suitable time to visit. WWOOFers live and work with the Host families in the same way as relatives and friends do when they visit. The minimum stay is 2 nights (to prevent people turning up, eating, sleeping and then leaving the next morning) and the maximum stay is up to the Host and the WWOOFer. We have heard of WWOOFers staying for more than a year! We receive so much positive feedback from our existing WWOOF Hosts about their wonderful experiences, but let’s not pretend that it’s all roses in the garden! It is important that you carefully consider the following issues BEFORE deciding to become a WWOOF Host and be prepared to deal with them if they arise. WWOOFers may be unskilled; some have never been out of a city and have never picked up a spade. WWOOFers who book in but then never show up can be a huge disappointment for many Hosts. Cultural, lifestyle, personality and language differences can lead to misunderstandings between Hosts and WWOOFers. Good effective communication between Hosts and WWOOFers is essential. With patience, understanding and compassion, it is a worthwhile and memorable experience for the majority of WWOOF Hosts. Please read the guidelines carefully and contact other Hosts in your area for feedback on how the program operates at the grass roots level.WWOOFers do 4 to 6 hours of farming /gardening work in exchange for a days food and board (depending on factors like season, workload, quality of their work and the accommodation, etc). A maximum of 42 hours work in any 7 days, these hours can be flexible so WWOOFers have free days but this must be negotiated with the WWOOFer . While WWOOFers are expected to clean up after themselves and keep their accommodation area tidy; childminding, hospitality work and houskeeping are not accepatble work for WWOOFers. Occasionally in bad weather it is OK to ask WWOOFers to some indoor work, but as a general rule this is not considered WWOOFing and should not be the usual work given to WWOOFers.

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VISA REGULATIONS

There are important visa regulations regarding work. WWOOFers with a Tourist visa must not do any work that would normally be done by a paid worker. For more information on this issue, visit the Australian Immigration Department’s Website: www.immi.gov.au Many WWOOFers travel on a Working Holiday Makers Visa and can be eligible for a second visa if they meet certain conditions. WWOOF Hosts who are in the correct postcode area and have their WWOOfers doing the correct types of work can sign the application form for this visa. See the Host Resources page for more information.

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Please read our WWOOF Host guidelines, and the information about insurance below. There is a copy of our Host application form for you to complete and return together with your registration fee, in our Host Pack, or you can use our on-line application form. If you meet our criteria, you will be registered as a Host and will be sent a proof copy of your entry. You will need to respond urgently if changes are required. Your full entry will then be printed in our next book, in the meantime your entry will be included in an amendment list of new Hosts which is readily available to WWOOFers. As a new Host you may not get enquiries from WWOOFers for some time until the next edition is in circulation. The best way to get WWOOFers is to post an entry on the WWOOF Australia Bulletin Board, which can be accessed via our Website. The book is updated and republished every 6 months. available each January and July (see application form for deadlines). Keeping your entry accurate and up to date is one way of avoiding complaints by WWOOFers. Our WWOOF Newsletterwill be sent to you 3 times per year, via e-mail or post.

We strongly recommend that new Hosts purchase “ WWOOF Hosting: A Practical Guide” by WWOOF Hosts, Trevor & Amanda Roberts.  This is a PDF ‘E-book’ which comprehensively covers everything WWOOF Hosts need to know to be effective Hosts.  We offer this Guide at a discounted price of $10 to new Hosts when purchased at the time they submit their Host application. Over 100 pages of practical advice in this Guide can save you a lot of uncertainty, time & money as you begin the process of becoming a WWOOF host.

INSURANCE

WWOOF puts in place an insurance policy for the majority of the WWOOFers. This very small basic accident policy is based on a $10-00 premium built into their membership. This insurance is only applicable to registered WWOOFers while on a registered WWOOF Host property, and will offer a small amount of cover to WWOOFers in states where WorkCover does not apply. WWOOFers who do NOT have an ‘i’ in front of their membership number are not insured through WWOOF but by an alternative source. This insurance does not cover Hosts. An injured WWOOFer could seek compensation by suing a negligent Host. For the Host’s protection it is important to have public liability insurance as part of their property insurance. Some Hosts have “Domestic Workers Compensation” included in their household insurance which covers cleaners, gardeners and their WWOOFers. Please contact your insurance provider to check your cover.

WORKERS COMPENSATION / WORKCOVER

We have been in contact with Work Cover Authorities in all states and territories and have prepared information sheets for each state. Northern Territory and South Australia do not need to have WorkCover as volunteers are not covered at this stageWe have compiled a WorkCover Information for WWOOF Hosts PDF which covers all States & Territories, you may download this and print off the information for your own State.  (If we mail you a Host pack, we will include the information for your state) There are severe penalties for breaching WorkCover regulations.

PRIVACY POLICY

Our organisation is committed to respecting the privacy of your personal information. It is bound by a set of National Privacy Principles that establish the benchmark for how personal information should be handled.  WWOOF Pty Ltd. has embraced these principles as part of standard operating procedures. This means is that all personal information that enters WWOOF Pty Ltd. is dealt with in a uniform manner and the highest regard is taken for maintaining its security at all times. If you are concerned our organisation may have handled your personal information inappropriately, please contact our Privacy Officer on (03) 5155 0218

FEE STRUCTURE AND RENEWALS

Your initial payment of $60-00* covers you for 12 months after your entry first appears in the book.  For an additional $10 we will include the PDF E-Book, “WWOOF Hosting – A Practical Guide” by WWOOF Hosts, Trevor & Amanda Roberts. (This is a special price for new Hosts only, this guide normally sells for $15.00) Applications must be received by the 15th of April for inclusion in the July Book and the 15th of October for inclusion in the January Book. Renewals are then payable yearly, and we will send you a Tax Invoice 4 to 6 weeks before the deadline for the next WWOOF book. You must respond to this notice before the deadline, which will be clearly indicated on the renewal invoice, to ensure your entry and any alterations are included in the next book. If we don’t hear from you before this deadline, we will remove your entry from the book. Renewal rates are $50.00* per year or $35.00* for concession card holders which includes a copy of the current book. Deadlines for renewals and/or changes to your entry details: April 30 ^th for the July edition or Oct 31^st for the January edition.*If you provide us with a copy of your current organic certification with an AQIS accredited Certifying body Host registration is free. We have no contact with WWOOFers after they join, so it could take from 6 to 12 months before they all have a copy of the book containing your entry. We prepare an Amendment Sheet freely available to all WWOOFers, which is updated each month, advising of new and deleted Hosts and important contact detail amendments. If you decide to discontinue as a Host, you may still receive inquiries for a while after your details have been removed from the WWOOF Book.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

We rely heavily on feedback from all members to maintain a working program. All complaints must be in writing, with names, membership numbers, and dates. We verify the identity of the WWOOFer making the complaint, but treat this information as confidential.

If we receive a complaint, we will contact the Host about whom the complaint was made to follow up the issues raised. We will also require the Host to provide us with contact and Membership details of other WWOOFers who have visited the Host. Failure to provide these details will result in the Hosts registration being cancelled. We are aware that many problems arise due to personality conflicts, and we always take this into account when dealing with complaints. We also take into consideration the length of time a Host has been in the program and the number of WWOOFers they host.

GENERAL COMPLAINTS

For complaints about unsuitable accommodation, food, inaccurate Host entries, unreasonably long working hours etc. we will ask for details of other WWOOFers who have visited the Host. We ask these WWOOFers about their experiences with the Host. First complaint, we inform the Host of the complaint, discuss the issues raised and request a reply in writing and contact WWOOFers who have visited the Host for their feedback. If the complaint is verified, we will discuss changes that will need to be adopted by the Host and, if appropriate, alter the Hosts entry in the book to better reflect conditions on the property. Second complaint, we inform the Host again, discuss why this issue is still a problem, what can be done to resolve the problem and warn the Host that a third complaint will result in the Hosts registration being cancelled. Third complaint, we will cancel the Hosts registration.

COMPLAINTS REGARDING HEALTH AND SAFETY OR SEXUAL HARASSMENT

If we receive a complaint about health and safety or inappropriate behaviour, including sexual harassment, we will contact the Host to inform them of the complaint, and that their Host registration has been suspended pending resolution of the complaint. The Host will be listed on the “Deleted Hosts” list on our Website and Amendment Sheet. This may seem harsh; however, when there is a concern raised about health and safety or sexual harassment, we must err on the side of caution, as we have a duty of care towards our members. If the Host disputes the complaint, the Host will be required to provide us with a written statement refuting the complaint, and provide us with details of other WWOOFers who have visited the Host. We will then contact other WWOOFers who have visited the Host. If similar concerns are raised we will cancel the Host’s registration immediately. If the complaint is resolved to our satisfaction, the Host will be reinstated, and be removed from the “Deleted Hosts” list on our Website and Amendment Sheet. If we receive a second similar complaint at any time in the future, the Host registration will be cancelled immediately NOTE; WWOOF cannot condone the breaking of State and/or Federal laws. WWOOF reserves the right to cancel a Hosts registration immediately if we believe the Hosts' actions may bring the name of the WWOOF program into disrepute. Please also read our WWOOF Host guidelines and if you need any further information please e-mail or phone us on 03-5155-0218.

We hope this has given you enough information to help in your decision to become one of our Hosts, enjoying the benefits of Hosting WWOOFers. We look forward to receiving the enclosed application form in due course. Yours sincerely The WWOOF Team, Garry, Debb, Traci, Tam, Lorraine, Manda and Danny

WWOOF is operated by WWOOF Pty Ltd, A.C.N 085-920-690

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*The Host Pack is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You will need the Acrobat viewer to view these files. which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe .

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WWOOF Hosting: A Practical Guide in PDF format is written by WWOOF Hosts Trevor & Amanda Roberts specifically for WWOOF Hosts, as a practical guide to Hosting WWOOFers. This Book is filled with over 100 pages of practical advice for WWOOF Hosts.  This is a fantastic resource for people contemplating becoming a WWOOF Host as well as for existing WWOOF Hosts.