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Cobbitty Village Market Day Committee Incorporated

P.O. Box 50 Cobbitty NSW 2570
Phone: 0402 479 961
www.cobbittymarkets.com.au
ABN: 82194635450

TRADING TERMS

By accepting an offer to trade at the Cobbitty Village Markets, be it permanent, casual, long or short term, it is deemed that as a stallholder, you have read, understand and agree to abide by these Stallholder Trading Terms. For the purposes of this document “stallholder” means: The stallholder, their assistants, friends, employees, family or any other person involved in the maintenance and/or running of the stall.

Statement of Values

Cobbitty Village Market was started by a committee of local residents in May 1982, with a view to providing the township of Cobbitty:

- A venue for socialising in the outdoors on a regular monthly basis

- A venue for individual private stallholders to sell wares (minimum professional stallholders)

- An opportunity for local groups such as Scouts, Brownies, Lifeline, Lions Club and schools to raise money

Cobbitty Village Markets has grown over the past 30+ years into a successful, well patronised, and highly regarded market, drawing stallholders and visitors from widespread Sydney metropolitan and NSW regional areas. A volunteer committee continues to run the markets and distribute all profits to a variety of local and NSW charities, community groups, and local families in need.

Cobbitty Village Market Day Committee Incorporated, functions with the following objectives:

- To provide a high-quality craft (major) and produce (minor) market for the local community, functioning as a local service and a community tourist attraction.

- The majority of market product to be made, designed &/or produced by attending stallholders, with wide product variety to be encouraged, and no product monopoly allowed.

- To enable local community groups such as Scouts, Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades, Lions Clubs, St John’s Ambulance, and local primary and high schools an opportunity to raise money.

- To function as a non-profit organization to raise money to support local and NSW charities, local community groups, and local individuals or families in need.

Past, present and future committee members will commit to work unselfishly and effortlessly, to uphold and maintain these values.

Market Operations

Markets held: First Saturday of each month from March to December in the grounds of Cobbitty Public School. (No markets in January or February).

Gates open: 6.00am for regular stallholders. Casual/new stallholders to arrive 7.00am.

Trading hours: 8.00am to 1.00pm

Finances: Cobbitty Markets are a registered charity, run by a volunteer organising committee. All funds raised go to charities, community groups, and local causes.

Stall Site Allocation

Allocating and managing stall sites often comes with a variety of challenges and where every request for a particular site or location (be it long or short term), will be considered, the committee has complete control to allocate stallholder sites as they deem right, fair or necessary for each market day.

Stall Requirements

Gazebos:All equipment required for each stall, including gazebos and tables, is to be supplied by stallholders. Gazebos must be firmly attached to the ground with pegs and/or sandbags at all times. Canopies may need to be removed in windy weather. Stallholders are responsible for any damage to product or gazebos related to weather or exposure, and containers and/or covers to protect products from moisture, dust, insects etc. are advised. Being an out-door market, weather is unpredictable.

Power Equipment: It is a requirement for stallholders operating on the site that all electrical equipment be tested and tagged in accordance with Australian Safety Standards by a certified electrician at the stallholders’ expense. Checks will be carried out to ensure all equipment onsite within the market meets with Australian Standards. Non-compliance will result in the Stallholder being required to remove the equipment.

Power boxes will be unlocked for stall holders once electrical equipment inspected to ensure tag testing is current.

Double adaptors are not permitted to be used onsite.

Any power boards utilised must also be test and tagged and have a surge protector.

Gas Equipment: : Any stallholder who utilises gas bottles and their associated gas equipment, must ensure gas bottles are within their use by date (ten years) and fitted with a gas fuse, gas safety gauge or similar, and all hoses and connections are inspected regularly to ensure they are secure and leak free.

Product: : Only products approved by the committee for each stall can be sold. Applications to add products to an existing stall can be submitted to the committee via email (with photos if possible) for consideration at the next meeting. There are no exclusive rights to any product type. However, the committee strives to keep a broad product range and minimize duplication.

Stall Pack Up: : Stalls are to remain open for trade with stallholders present until 1.00pm, unless you have sought and been granted permission by the committee, to conclude earlier.

Food Stalls: : Must have approval from Camden Council to operate at Cobbitty Markets, comply with regulations of NSW Home Businesses and Food Preparation, and hold current Public Liability insurance. Food items must never be directly placed on the ground.

Insurance: : All stallholders including food and children’s activities must hold current Public Liability Insurance to operate at each market. All stallholders are responsible for damage to the general public or school property related to their stall equipment and/or product. Stallholders are required to provide insurance details to the committee (via hard copy or email), and keep details updated. Stalls without current insurance, are not able to trade at the market.

Trading: : For our market to maintain its country style atmosphere, unfavourable sales techniques such as spruiking, touting, soliciting or market area wandering are not permitted. All sales must be transacted within the confines of your stall site.

Change of Stall Ownership: : Notification in writing or via email is required for change of stall ownership. New owners must complete the on-line application process on the market website to provide current details, and receive approval, before commencing trading. Any change to product along with stall ownership will be considered a new application.

Stall Fees and Conditions

Rent: : To be pre-paid prior to each market via electronic funds transfer (EFT). An invoice will be emailed to you with pre-payment due three business days prior to the market. Your invoice number MUST be placed in the reference field of your payment transaction. Unless a stallholder can prove to the satisfaction of the committee, that are completely unable to pay via EFT, then a collection and processing fee can be imposed for cash collection.

Permanent Sites: : single 3x3m ($60), double 3x6m ($100), and limited other sites by arrangement. Power (limited availability): $10 extra. Casual fees: single ($80; for intermittent attendance where available, or for the first 3 consecutive markets before potential permanency.

Absence: : Inability to attend a market is to be advised promptly to help with sourcing suitable replacement casual stalls: a reliably full and busy market is more successful. Full stall fees apply for a permanent site if a market is held, unless a Doctors Certificate for ill-health is provided (fees are then waived). Foreseen absences are to be paid AHEAD.

Extended Absence: : Permanent sites will be retained for up to 12 months for absence due to illness (with Doctors Certificate; fees are waived). Absence for non-illness, with prior notification and full payment, will retain a permanent site for up to 3 months. Absence for more than 3 months (nonillness) may result in loss of the stall site. Absence without notification for more than one market will result in stall cancellation.

Vehicle Movement

Vehicle movement within stall areas is prohibited from 8am to 1.30pm: this is very important for public safety. Close of trading is signalled at 1pm, but vehicle access is not permitted until 1.30pm (giving time for customers to leave the market area and you to dis-assemble your stall). Barriers preventing vehicle re-entry are to be moved by committee or authorised representatives only.

Bumping In: : For the safety of everyone, when entering the school grounds, you are required to activate the hazard lights of your vehicle and individuals are to wear High Visibility Vests while setting up.

Site Access: : Vehicles can park briefly adjacent/close to stall sites to load and unload, keeping this time to a minimum and respecting access for other stallholders. Vehicles are to be unloaded quickly and moved promptly before stall set-up and must have left the market area by 7.30am. Stall equipment/product is to be packed up and your marquee dismantled ready to re-load prior to vehicle re-entry from 1.30pm. There is no vehicle access to artificial turf areas, or any COLA areas on school grounds. Any damage to these areas, and associated rectification costs, are the responsibility of the stall holder.

Stall Holder Parking: : Stallholders are required to park in the ‘over-flow’ parking area (on the spare block on the eastern side of the school; access via the main back paddock parking) and a small area at the front western side of the school for stallholders in that vicinity. Ideally no parking on Cobbitty Road, or in the disabled parking spaces along the rear school fence line and if necessary, the first row of parking in the back paddock, leaving close parking for our market customers.

Parking Pass: : Parking passes are required to be completed and placed on the driver’s side of the dashboard upon market entry and remain there for the duration of the market.

Queuing for 6am Gate Opening: : If arriving before/around 6am join the back of the queue waiting to enter the school grounds (including arrival from Werombi Road end). All cars must obey Cobbitty Village Markets Trading Terms June 2021 Page 4 road rules in front of the school. Cobbitty Road is a busy thoroughfare for trucks and cars and blocking the flow of traffic is illegal and dangerous. Non-compliance with these important vehicle movement rules, including moving barriers without permission, will result in stall cancellation.

Code of Conduct

Application: : This code of Conduct applies to all stallholders, their assistants, friends, employees, family or any other person involved in the maintenance and/or running of the stall.

Expectation

Stallholders must comply with all the terms contained in this Code of Conduct.

Stallholders are responsible for the actions and behaviour of any other person (including family), assisting, acting on behalf of, or working for the stallholder, either part or full time at the stall. As such, those persons shall also be bound by the CVM Trading Terms. Stallholders are expected to have and maintain a positive and friendly attitude to other stall holders and members of the public. Such an attitude will ensure the continued success and longevity of the CVM into the future.

Stallholders must respond positively and co-operatively, to any reasonable request or direction given by the CVM Committee, in relation to the operation and occupation of their stall including, equipment, goods or products and vehicle movement, during operating times.

Stallholders must comply with any reasonable request or direction given by a committee member or other person authorised by a committee member, relating to a security or safety issue.

Stallholders must not act in a verbally or physically abusive, dangerous, accusatorial or disruptive manner at any time during market operating hours (including set up and dismantling time).

Stallholders must report immediately or at the first opportunity after, to any member of the CVM Committee, any incident or accident to any person or property.

A stallholder shall not engage in any inappropriate/unacceptable behaviour towards, market committee, volunteers, other stallholders or members of the public, which includes but is not limited to:

- Behaviour (including gestures) that is belligerent, bullying, aggressive, threatening, abusive, rude, vulgar, insulting, violent or unco-operative;

- Behaviour (including language) that is racist, sexist or otherwise discriminatory;

- Any form of harassment, intimidation, touching or any unwanted physical contact;

- Language that is threatening, insulting, defamatory or derogatory, including shouting or swearing;

- Behaviour that is likely to cause distress, disturbance, inconvenience, damage or harm to any other person present at the market.

A stallholder will not verbally criticise any other stallholder and/or their products;

A stallholder will uphold the best interests, image and welfare of the Cobbitty Village Markets and will not comment adversely in any manner about the markets, (including anyone associated with or to the markets, or other stallholders), by comment or speech or on any media platform including (but not limited to), the internet, printed media or social media.

A stallholder shall not engage in any kind of behaviour or negative publicity which may bring the Cobbitty Village Markets into disrepute.

Consequences: : If a stallholder is found to be in breach of the Trading Terms (which includes the Code of Conduct) of which some of those breaches may include but is not limited to; Where a stallholder:

- fails to pay their stall fee in accordance with the market trading terms;

- fails to comply with its obligation relating to vehicle and traffic control;

- fails to comply with market’s set up or pack up requirements;

- fails to abide by the market’s trading hours;

- behaves in a manner that the committee considers is inappropriate or may bring the market into disrepute;

- fails to comply with the code of conduct;

- fails to comply with the CVM Trading Terms;

- fails to comply with any reasonable instruction or direction given by a committee member; may be subject to sanctions imposed by the committee.

If the breach is deemed to be of a serious nature, the committee can, at the time of the breach or soon thereafter, request the stallholder to immediately cease trading and vacate the market. Where a breach of the Trading Terms by a stallholder has been noted by, or brought to the attention of the committee, the stallholder will be advised of such and the issue will be reviewed at the following committee meeting. After taking all matters into consideration, a decision will be made on whether to impose any sanctions they believe appropriate.

Sanctions which the committee may impose (but not being limited to) are:

re-locate a stallholder to another site within the market.

suspend or cancel further attendance at the market.

ban any product or goods from sale by the stallholder which are not approved or unsafe.

request that the stallholder undertake any reasonable measure which in the opinion of the committee will improve the safety and/or appearance of the stall.

The Committee’s decision is final and there is no right of appeal or review process.:

Complaints or Grievances: : If you have a concern or issue on a market day regarding operations, a committee member, volunteer, your site or another stallholder, please advise the committee in a reasonable manner on that day.

If the matter cannot be resolved at the time or during the market, and you wish to pursue it further, your complaint must be formalised by submitting it in writing with full detail, to the Cobbitty Market Committee. This must be received by the committee within seven (7) days from the incident date. All relevant and complete details must be provided in the submission, as the committee may dismiss the complaint without prejudice, due to insufficient information. Consideration of complaints will be guided by the principles of fairness, impartiality and ethical behaviour. The committee’s decision to pursue a complaint or not, is final and you will be advised of the outcome. Vexatious or anonymous complaints will not be recognized as legitimate and will be dismissed with no further action.

Weather and Market Cancellation

Cancellation of a market may occur in the case of severe recent or forecast rain or unsafe weather conditions. A decision of whether to cancel or continue is made ON THE THURSDAY EVENING prior to each market, giving sufficient notice to stallholders and community groups making/purchasing perishable items. Notification of market cancellation will occur on the market website and phone by 9pm on the Thursday evening preceding a market. Only in extreme unforeseen conditions will a market be cancelled after the preceding Thursday evening, in which case notification will occur on the website, phone and Facebook.

Uncertain Weather: : If weather is uncertain and stallholders have concerns about product damage, the committee understand decisions not to attend/stay at a market. However, if the market is held, stall fees still apply (see Stall Fees and Conditions). Local weather forecasts are important to review, as Cobbitty often doesn’t receive coastal rain. Regular customers also appreciate and support a market that is held reliably. Respect is required to be shown at all times for the committee’s decision to run or cancel a market, whether or not there is agreement with the decision. Arguing or bullying behaviour directed at the committee over payment of due fees is not acceptable, and stall cancellation may occur. Remember, Cobbitty Markets is a fund-raising market run by a volunteer committee, and considerable time, effort and expense are already incurred regardless of whether a market is cancelled. Some products/stalls are also more suitable to a variety of weather conditions than others. Stall fees for absence in uncertain/inclement weather are compulsory, as well as being a contribution to a worthy cause.

Rubbish

Garbage bins are supplied by 1st Cobbitty Scouts for disposal of food/beverage waste consumed at the market ONLY. All rubbish including organic matter, related to running market stalls is the responsibility of stallholders, to be removed from the school grounds at the end of the market, and not to be placed in garbage bins. A fine of $50.00 applies to stallholders not adhering to this rule (which will be given to Cobbitty Scouts who pay by volume for rubbish disposal). Recycling bins are hired from Camden Council at set-cost to the committee. Recyclable stallholder rubbish can be added to the yellow-lid recycling bins, if space allows, at the end of each market.

School Grounds

Care is to be taken at all times to look after Cobbitty Public School grounds. Stallholders are responsible for any accidental damage to ground surfaces, equipment, trees/plants, buildings or fencing, and are required to report any damage promptly. Smoking is not allowed at any time within the school grounds: customers or stallholders wishing to smoke need to exit the school property, which includes the main playground market stall area. Stall sites are to be left clean and free of rubbish.

Dogs

Well-behaved socialised dogs, on leads at all times, are welcomed at the market. Owners are responsible for picking up droppings promptly, and for being respectful of other market visitors, especially in crowded areas.

Feedback

The Cobbitty Market Committee strive to provide a successful, busy, unique and friendly market. We encourage respectful feedback on market operations, in writing or via email if more complex. Expressions of interest for joining the committee are welcomed. Meetings are monthly between markets, and numerous tasks are carried out between and during markets.