Volunteer rights and responsibilities

Arts Volunteer’s Rights and Responsibilities

• Volunteering is a mutual arrangement and as such any agreement to undertake activities on behalf of the Cairns Regional Council are done so only with the consent of the volunteer. Notwithstanding the above either party may terminate the arrangement at any time by notification to the other party.
• No payment will be made for any volunteer activity undertaken. The undertaking of volunteer activity does not create any right or expectation of future paid work.
• An Officer of the Cairns Regional Council is appointed to direct and supervise the activities of volunteers and you are expected to undertake all reasonable requests and directions given in order to perform tasks and activities by your appointed Cultural Services Officer.
• If you are unable to undertake or complete any assigned task or activity, or where you are unsure of how tasks are to be performed, you are to seek clarification from your Cultural Services Officer.
• Where your activities are part of a roster you should notify your Cultural Services Officer if you are unable to attend on any day that you are expected to attend.
• You are expected to be courteous at all times to staff, the public and other volunteers.
• You will be advised of appropriate dress requirements for the tasks you will undertake and be expected to dress appropriately. A Festival t-shirt (if provided) must be worn to all volunteer shifts as it identifies you as part of the working crew.
• Volunteers are asked to bring a mobile phone to all volunteer shifts, to be contactable and to have the ability to call security if the need arise.
• Please respect the environment and dispose of any rubbish in a thoughtful and respectful manner.
• Smoking whilst on duty is not permitted. If you are on a break, you may smoke in a designated smoking area away from the event participants and in a discreet manner. We ask that you dispose of your cigarette butts in a thoughtful manner.
• The Cairns Regional Council will not allow the use/sale/possession or the continuance of your role should you be acting under the influence of any alcohol, illegal drugs or other substances that may affect your ability to operate as an event volunteer whilst on duty.
• Any requests from the media for information or for interviews must be directed to your Cultural Services Officer who will direct them to the Marketing and Publicity Manager. Staff and volunteers must not make any comment to members of the media.
• Cultural Services volunteers consent to the use by Cairns Regional Council for promotional purposes of images (photographs) taken of the event and the activities you are involved in.
• If you leave the volunteer program, any tools issued to you must be returned (note: this does not include PPE).
• Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 you must follow reasonable direction given by the Cairns Regional Council, its agent or representative in regard to safety practices and procedures. Under the Act you are also expected to take reasonable responsibility for your own health and safety as well as the health and safety of others.
• Where you have a concern about a matter and you are not sure what action to take you should advise and discuss this with your Cultural Services Officer. This is particularly so, where you believe the health or safety of a client is at risk.
• Any plant, property or equipment that is provided for use during your placement is only to be used to undertake tasks assigned to you and remains the property of the Cairns Regional Council at all times.
• The Cairns Regional Council will indemnify you for any damage to plant, property or equipment used by yourself in undertaking assigned tasks, other than where you willfully or deliberately cause that damage.
• While undertaking tasks under the direction of the Cairns Regional Council, its agent or representative you will be indemnified by the Cairns Regional Council’s Public Liability Insurance for any injury or damage caused by your actions, other than where you willfully or deliberately cause that injury or damage.
• Cairns Regional Council has established a Code of Conduct that outlines the standard of behaviour expected of our team. Whilst volunteering with Cultural Services, you are required to be aware of the Code and to observe its principles.
• Cairns Regional Council’s Disputes and Grievance Policy is available on request. Should you have a dispute or grievance relating to your voluntary work with Cultural Services, you are encouraged to inform your Cultural Services Officer.
• While under the Cairns Regional Council’s direction you will be covered by a limited accident insurance cover, subject to the terms of the policy. (Details of the policy are available upon request).
• Should you suffer any injury you must notify your Cultural Services Officer immediately. Should you become aware of an injury to another party or of damage to property you must notify your Cultural Services Officer.
• In the event of illness or injury, the Cairns Regional Council will take all reasonable steps to notify the person(s) nominated by the volunteer as soon as possible.
• In the event of illness or injury, while on the placement, the volunteer authorises the Cairns Regional Council, its agent or representative to arrange whatever medical treatment is appropriate and arrange transport to a suitable facility for that treatment and understands that any costs incurred will be my responsibility other than where the costs have arisen directly from my involvement in the volunteer program.

Cultural Services Volunteer Program Confidentiality/ Privacy Agreement

Under the Code of Conduct, Integrity is one of Council’s fundamental ethical obligations. It is Cairns Regional Council’s policy to ensure that all volunteers maintain the strictest confidence in order to protect the privacy of information relating to its employees and business activities and that such information be used only for the purposes intended.

Volunteers must accept and agree that they will not disclose any information to persons not authorised to have it other than for what may be required by law.

This could include any of the following:

• Personal information about a client of the Cairns Regional Council’s services or programs
• Personal information about a member of the public
• Personal information about an Elected Member or member of staff
• Details of the Cairns Regional Council’s Commercial Business operations
• Details of the Cairns Regional Council’s partnerships with Government or Statutory bodies
• Details of the Cairns Regional Council’s partnerships with Community organisations
• Details about a private company, a Government or statutory body, or community organisation

Volunteers have a responsibility to respect and maintain the confidentiality and privacy of all organisations and individuals.

Breaches of confidentiality and/or privacy can in some circumstances constitute offences under the law.

However, where volunteers have a concern about a matter and you are not sure what action to take, advise and discuss this with your Cultural Services Officer in the first instance. This is particularly so where you believe the health or safety of a client is at risk.