Policies & Bylaws

Document Control

The table below records this document's version history and approval dates.

Version History

Bylaws & Policies Document (Dec 2025)

Introduction

The Constitution is an important document, lodged with the New Zealand Companies Office in compliance with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. It governs the way the club is managed and defines key processes such as membership, appointment of committee members, complaints procedures, the powers of the committee to make decisions on behalf of members, and the timing and content of Annual General Meetings. It also provides for the Committee to make, amend or rescind these Policies and Bylaws for the good management of the Club.

Bylaws are clear, unequivocal statements which must be complied with by all, including members of the Committee. They cover significant aspects relating to areas such as the behaviour of Club members and will only be amended in consultation with Club members. The Bylaws below were approved by the Committee in 2024 and presented to the 2024 AGM for affirmation.

Policies are a system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies can assist in both subjective and objective decision-making.

Bylaws

• Behaviour

  No member shall conduct themselves in a manner likely to bring discredit to the club. In order to ensure that all members can enjoy their time at our club we must respect all members and others on the Club grounds and behave in a way that demonstrates this.

• Members Will
  • Treat others as one would like to be treated.
  • Act ethically and with integrity.
  • Observe and act according to the Policies and Rules of the Club.
  • Treat other members with respect, courtesy, honesty and fairness, and have proper regard for their interests, rights, safety and welfare.
• Members Will Not
  • Harass, bully or discriminate against members in any situation either on the club grounds or elsewhere, including through verbal or written media such as emails or texts.
  • Conduct themselves in a manner likely to bring discredit to the Club or to cause offence to other members.
• Speed Limit

  The speed limit on the grounds is 10 km/hour. No driving or parking on the main lawn unless on official club business.

• Social Events

  On all member sites and communal areas, all music (without the use of earphones) is to be turned off at 10.30 pm, except for "all of club social events", weekends and public holidays when it shall be turned off at 11.00 pm. All other noise is to be kept to a low level so as not to disturb our neighbours or to spoil other members' quiet enjoyment of our facilities.

• Privacy

  Members and visitors will not divulge the name of another member or draw them into discussion about the club and/or its activities in the company of non-members without that member's consent. All information is to be managed in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.

• Drugs and Alcohol

  Possession of Class A, B & C drugs and those covered by the Psychoactive Substances Act (2013), other than prescription drugs, is strictly forbidden. Members and their guests are expected to use discretion with alcohol.

• Smoking

  Smoking is not permitted in any of the Club's buildings including guest accommodation, and where smoking does take place consideration must be given to non-smokers.

• Members' Vehicles

  May be parked on a site allocated to that member if space permits. If space is not available, members and longer-term visitors should park in the carpark on Streamside or in an area agreed with the committee or custodians if present. All day visitors must park their vehicles in the designated area on Streamside.

• Animals

  As a general rule no animal, including dogs (except a service dog), is permitted on the Club grounds. Animals can only be brought onto the grounds with the permission of the committee. If this permission is given, the committee will provide further information on where the animal is to be kept, walked and other expectations.

• Fires

  Fires are only permitted in purpose-built braziers, taking into account any fire bans in place by the council. In all cases, permission from the Committee member responsible for Grounds is recommended.

• Swimming Pool, Spa and Sauna

  A shower is to be taken before entering the pool, hot tub or spa. No glassware or food is permitted in the pool, hot tub, spa and sauna areas. All rules on signs displayed at these facilities must be observed.

• Visitors

  Including family, are welcome at the club. Where visitors are on the grounds as a result of an invitation from a member, they are the responsibility of the hosting member.

• Cameras, Smart Phones & Photography

  (Including video.) It is a requirement that where any photography takes place on the grounds, any person (clothed or unclothed) included in the photograph or recording must be asked for their approval before any photography takes place. In the case of children, the parents or guardians must give their approval before any photography takes place.

• Site Management

  Occupation of a site on the grounds is a privilege and members must comply with the current site contract for their site to retain it. The site must not detract from the overall high-quality perception of our club. No member or couple shall be permitted to have more than one site.

  Sites are not transferable between members without committee approval.

• Minors

  As a matter of safety, parents, care givers or guardians are required to supervise their children at ALL times.

• Members Wishing to Stay More Than 100 Days

  The club is not an alternative to having permanent accommodation elsewhere, but members may request an exemption from the 100-day per calendar year rule. Where granted for exceptional reasons, the committee may levy additional charges per night.

• Expenditure

  Only persons approved by the committee are permitted to incur expenditure without written pre-approval. A list of these members will be maintained by the Treasurer and is available on request.

• Site Rental

  Only full financial members are eligible for long-term allocation of a site on the club grounds. Members must follow the site request process and agree to the conditions outlined in the site agreement prior to taking on a site. (See process and example contract in the appendix.)

Policies

• Governance

  The committee will strive to ensure continuity of governance by transitioning less than 50% of committee members in any one year. This means with a committee of 9 people, a maximum of 4 (but ideally fewer) should be able to resign in any single year to preserve knowledge and ensure continuity of approach to the governance and management of the club.

• Club Morale

  All members, but particularly committee members, have a responsibility to ensure that the majority of Club members are happy with the overall culture and way that the Club is managed and run for their enjoyment.

• Nudity

  This is a naturist club and there is an expectation that in circumstances where it is comfortable and appropriate to do so, clothing will not be worn. It is not possible to be absolute about an area like this; at the end of this document is a copy of the "WNC Undress Code" which sets out guidelines for members and visitors.

• Nude-Only Areas

  The swimming pool, hot tub, spa and sauna may only be used when nude. No swimming costumes or other clothing is permitted. See the WNC Undress Code at the end of this document for more detail, and remember: "if your bum is bare, cover the chair."

• Visitors

  Any member of the public may visit the site provided they behave appropriately, are respectful of naturist codes of conduct, and pay the relevant fees.

• Rubbish

  Members are expected to remove their rubbish from the grounds as we have limited storage for waste. Rubbish and recycling bins are there primarily for the use of visitors and members involved in catering for events etc.

• Photography

  Where social events or other official Club events such as Festivals are held, the Committee may appoint an official Club photographer to record the event. Members not wishing to be photographed must advise the photographer, who is required to request permission from all members in any photograph. The appointment of an official photographer does not preclude photography by others present at the function, subject to the provisions of the bylaws regarding permission.

• All Members Responsible for Security

  Members on site must ensure, where practical, that all buildings are closed and locked if departing after 6:00 pm or where they believe there are no other members on site upon their departure.

• Privacy and CCTV Policy

  The club is required to collect and store information on members to comply with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. CCTV or video monitoring of key club assets may also be required in order to protect club property and assets from damage or theft and to ensure a safe and secure environment for all members. A detailed policy document covering how cameras may or may not be installed, and how information is protected to ensure confidentiality, is attached in the appendices.

• Committee Meetings

  Any member shall be entitled to listen but must request permission to speak at any Committee Meeting. Members will have access to the minutes if they so desire, noting that any personal, confidential information may be withheld. Minutes should be made available to members no later than two weeks following approval by the committee (typically approximately 7 weeks after the meeting, assuming monthly meetings).

• Camping

  Campers (members without a site or visitors) are permitted to leave vacant tents, campers and caravans on site for a period of up to ten [10] days. This shall be charged at the current member camping rate for one adult. Periods in excess of 10 days must be agreed by the committee in advance and additional fees may be levied.

• Working Bees

  Maintenance of our club facilities and grounds is largely done by members to keep our costs and consequently our membership and site fees down. Working bees usually occur on the Sunday following the winter fund-raising dinner. Lunch is provided. We encourage all club members to come along to help maintain our wonderful grounds and enjoy the community spirit.

• Purchasing Goods and Services

  Where practical, more than one quote for significant works shall be obtained. This is done to ensure the Club receives the best value for money on major projects.

• Office & Patron Role Descriptions

  All key roles in the club are to have documented role descriptions that are available for review by any member. These should be reviewed each year following the AGM and appointments confirmed along with committee member and patron responsibilities.

Acceptable Use of Club Sites and Facilities in Winter Months

The cost of power over winter has become a significant expense to the club, and in 2023 and 2024 we have seen significant rises on all costs over winter as more people are spending more time on site and using electricity and gas on their own sites and in public areas. We have no wish to apply additional charges to members regularly staying on site to attend events or to undertake significant work for the club or on their own sites. However, we do feel there is a need for clarity of what is acceptable use.

Commencing 1 May 2025 through until the end of October each year, the committee is introducing a new policy whereby an additional nightly site charge will apply to members known to be spending significant time on site over the autumn/winter. For clarity, "significant time over the winter period" will be considered to be regular weekly attendance on site between the months of May through to the end of October. This attendance must still fall within the maximum permitted 100 days per year.

This new policy does not change the maximum of 100 days on site in a 12-month period or the option for members volunteering to undertake significant work on site to continue to stay without further charge. Attendance at club events will not contribute to any consideration of "significant time."

Delegated Authorities Policy

Incurring expenditure for any purpose other than the normal operation of the club requires committee approval in advance. Examples where delegated authorities can be used without prior approval include but are not limited to:

• Payment of normal operating expenses such as rates, insurance, power, gas, catering for events, bar supplies, hygiene and cleaning products, general maintenance items.
• Extraordinary items such as sports equipment or promotional items require approval by a person with authority within their delegated limits; items outside that authority require committee approval in advance.

The following people may incur or authorise expenditure to the amounts shown below without prior committee approval. The committee will review and affirm all expenditure incurred and may refuse to refund if deemed inappropriate.

People may be added or removed by agreement of the committee.

Appendices

Governance Framework

The Wellington Naturist Club Undress Code

A fundamental principle is that we believe the human body, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, or size and shape, is a natural manifestation of our humanness. It is common to all of us and is therefore to be celebrated. Our lifestyle enables us to experience this world in what we consider to be our natural state, and we expect that anyone wishing to be part of our organisation will also identify with this principle.

At our grounds in Te Marua, when the weather conditions mean that it is comfortable to be without clothes, that is what we do. Regardless of the weather, there are also several places where we consider it is more natural to be unclothed rather than clothed. This includes the swimming pool area, the spa and sauna, and the showers. In these areas no clothing should be worn.

While we expect that in warm weather people on our grounds will be unclothed, there will be occasions where individual choice may mean some clothing is retained for health or personal reasons. This includes body protection (e.g. from the sun where its intensity could cause skin damage — particularly for children) and during menstruation for women.

When people are new to the experience of social nudity it is understandable if they experience some hesitancy about being unclothed in the company of other people, particularly where they don't know those people. We acknowledge that overcoming feelings of vulnerability can be a challenge and for this reason we don't expect that new visitors will necessarily immediately remove their clothes — some people may need to ease into social nudity over a couple of visits.

While we do acknowledge the need for some people to take time to make the move to being naked with other naked people, we do expect that in normal circumstances the move to being free of clothes on the grounds when others are in that state should happen after a maximum of three visits.

There will be occasions, for example when the Committee issues invitations to the public to come to a particular event, when the undress code will be waived, but this will be an exception.

Privacy Policy

Purpose: To provide a clear statement that explains to members how their personal information is collected, used, stored, and disclosed, followed by the club policy on the use of security cameras.

Use of Security Cameras

The following outlines how the Club manages personal information collected through the use of security cameras, in compliance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020. The Club is committed to protecting the privacy of its members and visitors.

Site Allocation Process

The WNC Protocol for Allocation of Sites, Structures and Decks follows this workflow:

1. Member makes initial request to the Site Manager.
2. Site Manager confirms the member is a current financial member (non-financial members are declined).
3. Site Manager determines whether a site or space is available to allocate, and whether the intended use is appropriate.
4. If both checks pass, the matter is referred to the Committee for agreement.
5. Once committee agreement is reached, details are entered in the Site Agreement Register.
6. Boundaries are verified as correct and clearly marked; corrections made if needed.
7. Site Agreement is reviewed with the member and two copies are signed (one to member; one retained in Site Agreement Register).
8. Plans are updated as appropriate.
9. If at any stage the request cannot proceed, resubmission recommendations are provided.

Site Holder Agreement 2025

Definitions

• Unit means: Tent, Caravan, Campervan, Mobile home, Transportable home or Cabin.
• Holder means: A current financial member who has paid the annual rent for the right to occupy a site for the current year.

A site holder is invoiced the annual rental fee (as determined by the Committee) and may stay for up to 100 days/nights per year.

Liability

The Wellington Naturist Club Inc does not accept liability for any loss from or damage to any Unit whilst on the Club property. The site holder is responsible for any loss or damage caused to their site by their unit.

Safety

Each Unit must comply with the legal electrical code of practice, particularly in respect of:

1. Power leads — leads should ideally be up off the ground.
2. Electrical Warrant of Fitness (a Unit/Cabin may be hard-wired with the consent of the Committee and at the Site Owner's expense).
3. Use of electrical appliances.

No open fires are permitted on camp sites. Contained braziers are permitted, provided the fire season is adhered to.

State of Units

Whilst on Club property each unit MUST be kept:

1. In a good state of repair.
2. Clean & presentable.
3. Tarpaulins/covers to be removed between 1 December and April.
4. Site maintained monthly; if absent for an extended period, advise the committee and arrange a neighbour to assist.

A unit with wheels may only arrive on the grounds being driven or towed, with a current WOF/COF and, if connecting to power, an Electrical Warrant of Fitness. Units must comply with the attached dimensions, materials and structure requirements.

Modification to Grounds / Site

Written permission from the committee must be obtained prior to:

• The erection of any form of awnings, decking, fencing or any structures made or built of permanent materials.
• Removal of trees or shrubs.
• Connection to water and sewerage (Council permit also required).

Site Holder's Responsibilities

• Grass is to be mown regularly and site kept clear of long grass and weeds.
• Surrounding areas of hedging, trees and shrubs to be well maintained.
• Wastewater may be discharged only to places designated for that purpose.
• A dump station is located by the Far Away Land ablution block for disposal of black and grey water waste.
• Water tobies and taps must be kept free for use by others.

Where the Committee/Site Manager deems a site/unit is not up to standard, the site holder will be given 6 months to remedy the situation. If not remedied, a further 3 months will be given for the unit to be removed. Failure to comply will result in the Committee removing the unit at the site holder's expense.

Car Parking

Only the site holder's vehicles may be parked on site if room permits; otherwise vehicles are to be parked in a committee-approved area. During excessively wet conditions, due care must be taken to avoid damage to common drive areas.

Residence

Permanent residence in a unit is NOT permitted. Continuous residence for more than eight weeks (including a holiday period) is considered permanent. A maximum of 100 nights per year may be spent by site holders on Club grounds.

During the offseason (May-November), site holders may be charged up to $10 per night per person to cover additional amenity costs where a member is deemed to be spending significant time on site over this period.

Where a person other than the registered site holder (or family members included in their membership) resides overnight in a unit, that person is liable to pay the current casual camping fee.

Site Fee and Renewal

The site rental fee is established by the Committee and is to be paid by the due date each year, or monthly as arranged with the Treasurer. On receipt of payment the site holder's agreement will be renewed.

Transfer of Site and Sale of Property

A site holder may transfer their site by first requesting permission from the Site Manager. The buyer must be an entity agreed to by the Committee. If the unit is below the required state of repair at the time of transfer, the new owner must confirm in writing that the unit will be brought up to standard within committee-directed timeframes prior to the transfer proceeding.

Interpretation

In the event of any dispute over the interpretation of these conditions, the decision of the Committee will be final.

Termination

Failure to comply with these conditions will result in the Committee terminating the agreement and requiring the Unit to be removed from the site at the site holder's expense.

Membership Application Process

Expressions of interest may come in through the website, mobile phone, a current member, or an Open Day. All enquiries are referred to the Membership Administrator (MA), who makes contact, arranges a visit and undertakes introductions and assessments. The application form is then completed and circulated to the Committee.

The Committee makes a suitability decision. If approved provisionally, the MA arranges the newsletter and handbook, the Administrator informs the Treasurer, a subscription invoice is issued, and the member pays subs and is given access to the club. A buddy/liaison administrator is assigned. After one year, the provisional membership is reviewed and either approved (full membership) or declined.

Important note: All resignations, leaves of absence or other membership arrangements are to be made through the MA.

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