Rules

To remain an active member of the common you must pay a yearly membership of $40. Should you fail to pay this yearly fee you will be moved onto the inactive list which means you will be unable to stand for elections or vote at any election. If you are over 65 years of age the fee is waived.

The Trust thanks you for providing a contact email address, it is appreciated as correspondence from the Common Trust will be sent to this email address unless you advise otherwise. Should your email address or residential address change or
you wish to cease being a member of the Common could you please notify the Trust Secretary ASAP.

A Commoner must be a member for at least six months to be eligible for appointment to the Board of Trustees.

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As a member of the St Albans Common you are entitled to use the Common in the following manner:

Access to the Common
1. Walk, ride horses, push bikes or use the Common for quiet recreation. (No motor bikes or quad bikes permitted on the Common)

2. Take friends or family onto the Common.

3. Gather dead fallen firewood (you must seek permission in writing, from the Trust with 2 days’ notice) for your own use but not for commercial purposes.

4. No dogs on the Common unless on leads.

5. No canoeing or kayaking on the Common lake as historic fencing and hazards are in the water.

Risk Management
1. Commoners are to use appropriate Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment when on the Common working cattle, riding horses, at Working Bees or any other activity involving risk.
2. Commoners or visitors to the Common riding, collecting firewood, walking etc must carry a UHF radio on channel 14. Contact the Trust for assistance.
3. Refer to the Risk Management Plan.

Agistment of Stock
1. All stock must belong to the Commoner (not a third person). The limit on cattle is 26 per Commoner per PIC per property. The limit for horses is 8 per Commoner per property. This number may be revised at the discretion of the Trust in response to environmental conditions in particular periods of drought and availability of fodder.
2. Should you place stock on the Common it is expected that you will attend the quarterly musters either as a rider or ground crew. It is your responsibility to work your own stock at these musters, once yarded. Refer to musters and working bees for further details.
3. No complete male cattle or male horses are to be placed on the Common.
4. All cattle must have an NLIS and a property ear tag.
5. All horses must have their shoes removed prior to being released on the common.
6. You must notify and seek consent from the Herdspeople to conduct stock movements, complete the necessary documentation, advise the NLIS data base of the movement and ensure all common fees are paid in advance to
the end of March, June, September or December (except in extenuating circumstances with the consent of the Trust). 
7. You can conduct private musters with the consent of the Herdspeople (or a Trustee in their absence). However, you must keep disturbance to other stock to a minimum.
8. Stock from outside the valley must not be directly placed on the Common until they have been "emptied out" for 21 days as required by biosecurity requirements for Johnes disease or any other health problems..
9. It is the owner’s responsibility to check their stock for health issues and treat any sick animals.
10. Unauthorised stock found on the Common will be impounded at the cost of the owner.

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Breach of Rules
1. Breaches of these Rules may lead to your membership being revoked.
2. Failure to pay fees as required under the Rules and the legislation will result in the Commoner being moved to an inactive member list and ineligible to vote at AGMs.

Context of the Common at law
We suggest you contact a Trustee prior to using the Common to familiarise yourself with the rules governing the use of the St Albans Common. General laws relating to the use of a common can also be found in the Commons Management Act 1989
and related Regulations.