Open 20:18
Close 20:38
Author Brendan Carmichael
Signed Unsigned
Tally 15

  • Lachlan Gordon
  • Aaron Bycroft
  • Timeka Beecham
  • James Beecham
  • Mike Ando
  • Brendan Halliday
  • Chang-Yi Yao
  • James Churchill
  • Chris Holzworth
  • Samuel Janetzki
  • Blair Calderara (Chairperson)
  • Beau Sandford
  • Joshua Hogendorn
  • Luke Hovington
  • Brendan Carmichael guests:
  • Don McGuinness
  • Jolie Kernick
  • Michal Janetzki
  • Matthew R

Luke to give report about our financials.

Blair Calderara: Purchase electronics to top up our supplies of common components. $18 for a restock of resistors. $14.30 for transistors $14.35 for partial restock of capacitors $7 for 30m of solid core hookup wire $53.65 Total.

Luke Hovington, Brendan Carmichael: Vote for who can spend money for the parade robot (without further meetings).

Luke Hovington, Brendan Carmichael: Vote for who can spend money for the parade wearables (without further meetings).

James Beecham, Aaron Bycroft: $20 concrete for access ramp to quad. 2 bags of 20 kg

Joshua Hogendorn: The new cause system as proposed

Joshua Hogendorn: Some minor rule changes

Joshua Hogendorn: Some new policy around guests


Luke to give report about our financials. Luke advised against unnecessary spending. We are currently at approximately $5k, which we can't spend.

Blair Calderara: Spend $53.65 on electronic top up (resistors, transistors, capacitors, hookup wire). 5 for, 3 against. The main consideration against was due to our poor financial situation.

Luke Hovington, Brendan Carmichael: Vote for who can spend money for the parade robot (without further meetings). 13 for Karl Richardson to be project manager for the G20 cultural parade robot, 0 against. The project manager is able to spend up to the $2500 budget, without further approval from the group. The project manager must provide receipts and/or invoices to the Treasurer. No other people were nominated.

Luke Hovington, Brendan Carmichael: Vote for who can spend money for the parade wearables (without further meetings). 10 for Victor Vicario to be project manager for the G20 cultural parade wearables and workshop, 1 against. The project manager is able to spend up to the $2500 budget, without further approval from the group. The project manager must provide receipts and/or invoices to the Treasurer. No other people were nominated.

James Beecham, Aaron Bycroft: $20 concrete for access ramp to quad. 2 bags of 20 kg Concrete requested for wheel chair accessibility between the greenroom and the courtyard. 11 for, 1 against.

Joshua Hogendorn: The new cause system as proposed Josh presented a new cause system and asked for it to be voted in, detailed at https:%%//%%github.com/HSBNE/Policy/pull/18/ Required Rule change:

28. Appointment of subcommittees

1. There is no subcommittee system in the HSBNE Constitution, as such the management committee may NOT appoint a subcommittee.

  1. Subcommitties as defined by the 'Cause' bylaws may be appointed.
  2. Subcommitties of types not defined by the 'Cause' bylaws may not be appointed.

Cause Policy itself:

Causes are micro groups within HSBNE that are empowered to direct funds towards their own interests without having to convince merit to the group as a whole. In exchange for autonomy, Causes take some responsibility for the upkeep and community building of the hackerspace.

This means that (for example) a group of blacksmithers can direct funds specifically towards their interests (ie a new anvil) without having to convince the wider group of its merit as an expenditure. It means they can maintain their area and buy appropriate consumables for it.

When total funds of the hackerspace drop below the marker defined by the Treasurer, all cause fund allocation freezes until the general bank balance recovers.

This marker is currently defined as $10,000

You may allocate up to 25% of your monthly dues towards up to Three causes, which gains you membership in those causes and voting rights. You can change these allocations once per month by contacting the Treasurer and notifying them of your preferences.

Minimum Requirements

At a minimum, to exist a cause must have:

  1. One leader
  2. Five members total
  3. Committed to the contribution rules
  4. Approval from an executive majority vote
  5. Registered themselves with the Treasurer
  6. A wiki page (on the HSBNE domain) stating
  • The current leader.
  • The cause objectives.
  • Causes contribution details (classes, area of upkeep etc).

Cause Contributions

Causes must contribute back to the hackerspace as defined by the executive. Failure to meet these obligations in a calendar month will result in no funds being allocated for that month. The current rules for contribution are:

  1. One unique class run per 10 cause members per month.
  • ie: 10 members = 1 class, 11 members = 2 classes.
  • Unique means separate classes, not repeating the same class. ie: lathe use and welding, or intro to soldering and oscilloscope 101

Obligation to ‘own’ a physical area of the hackerspace and be responsible for its upkeep and appearance. Grants specifically for the cause must also have some contribution to the hackerspace as a whole.

How is upkeep managed?

The area defined for upkeep gets cleaned and approved by a member of the exec as acceptable. Photos are taken as a reference. Each month a walkthrough will be performed to grade the area against the reference photos. No walkthrough report means no funds allocated for that month.

Cause Rules

Operation of a cause is bound by similar rules as the group as a whole. When in doubt, read our incorporation rules and follow them. The relevant clarifications are:

  1. Quorum is defined as minimum 3 people or 40% of cause membership, whichever is greater.
  2. The cause leader has a discretionary amount as determined by the Treasurer. (Currently $100/m but can not exceed cause balance)
  3. Causes may (at the discretion of the treasurer) accept contributions from sources other than membership fee alotments.
  4. Causes meetings may only vote on items relating to the expenditure of a causes balance.

Otherwise, a cause operates as does the larger group, to highlight a few key points:

  1. The requirements for meetings to vote on decisions with:
  • Quorum at a meeting.
  • Adequate public notice.
  • Minutes accessible to HSBNE membership.

Five days notice to HSBNE members for financial meeting items

A cause empowers you and people with similar interests to direct funds appropriately within your own consensus. It does not, in any way allow you to:

  • Deny general membership access to a cause maintained area
  • Deny non cause members to any meetings, equipment, tools, consumables or classes.

For the purposes of our incorporation rules, causes are defined as subcommittees.

To start a cause, contact the executive with:

  • The name of the leader
  • The first five members
  • Planned class(es)
  • Proposed area of upkeep.

13 for, 1 against.

Joshua Hogendorn: Some minor rule changes regarding illegal behaviour and how meetings are called to reflect actual practice. Detailed at: https:%%//%%github.com/HSBNE/Policy/commit/7769e17256bd134cd062193bd106b2f1188e6ce6#diff-ccce43607cc14aae6337cf44e5ec5ed3

When membership ends The management committee may terminate a members membership if the member b) does not comply with any of the provisions of these rules; or b) does not comply with any of the provisions of these rules or applicable by-laws such as the Code of Conduct, Safe Space Policy, or Dispute Resolution Policy; or Appeal against rejection or termination of membership iv) If the reason for termination was substantiated belief of illegal behaviour the appeals process is not available to the person whos membership has been terminated.

11. General meeting to decide appeal

6. the circumstances of all office vacancies to the management committee must be published to the general membership via the official communication method of the group. `6. the circumstances of all office vacancies to the management committee must be published to the general membership via the official communication medium of the association.

36. Notice of general meeting

1. Any member may initiate a general meeting of the association by raising an agenda item on the group public communication medium.

2. The secretary must assemble agenda items, and select a suitable date for the meeting, and give at least 5 days notice of the meeting to each member of the association for all items, financial or otherwise.

3. If the secretary is unable or unwilling to call the meeting, another member of the management committee must call the meeting.

4. The management committee may decide the way in which the notice must be given.

1. Initially, and unless the management committee decides otherwise, notice of meetings shall be by electronic mailing (hackerspace_brisbane@googlegroups.com) list and Google™ calendar.

5. However, notice of the following meetings must be given in writing (email is acceptable)

  1. General Meetings happen every second Tuesday from the date of the last AGM.
  2. Any member may add to the agenda of a general meeting by raising the agenda item on the official communications medium of the association
  3. Non Financial agenda items have no notice period, and may be announced verbally during a meeting.
  4. Financial agenda items must be announced to the official communications medium of the association with 5 days notice.
  5. Notice of the following meetings must be given in writing (email is acceptable)
  6. a meeting called to hear and decide the appeal of a person against
  7. a meeting called to hear and decide a proposed special resolution of the association.
  8. A General Meeting of the association may be called outside of the schedule defined by 36.1 by any member. Notice periods and methods differ depending on the agenda -
  9. Non Financial agendas may be notified verbally or in writing, and have no notice period.
  10. Financial agendas must be notified in writing to the official communications medium of the group with 5 days notice.
  11. A notice of a general meeting must state the business to be conducted at the meeting.

14 for, 0 against.

Joshua Hogendorn: Some new policy around guests Detailed at: https:%%//%%github.com/HSBNE/Policy/blob/47b8c073ae2ccfde484ed257890dee35c530f7bc/Procedure/Guests.md

HSBNE is for the benefit of the community, not just its members. We allow guests on our campus and limited use of our facilities. This document aims to clarify the expectations and limits of being a guest at HSBNE.

Unaccompanied guests are non-members who attend the space when it is open to the public. For example, during open nights or public events. They are not entitled to utilise equipment or consumables directly, but a member may opt to assist them. Essentially, look don't touch is a fairly simple interpretation.

We encourage repeat visits, however after three visits we reserve the right to ask you to become a financial member or refrain from attending further.

Accompanied guests at HSBNE are non-members who attend with a current financial member. In this case, the financial member is responsible for the actions of the guest. For example, Legal guardians with minors fall into this category. Accompanied guests may utilise the resources that the financial member is willing to supervise them with, and that the financial member themselves is entitled to use (for example via induction).

Sometimes when members attend the campus, they leave the facilities open and non-members may enter. In the case where this happens, all members on site are responsible for the actions of the walk in guest. If you are not comfortable with this as a member, ensure the facilities are secure to walk ins, or ask them to reattend on an open night.

Class attendees are entitled to utilise the resources that are relevant to their class. The member running the class is responsible for the safety and security of the facilities during and after the class, until all attendees leave the premises. When in doubt, class attendees are treated like accompanied guests where the class runner is the responsible member.

11 for, 0 against.

  • meetings/general/2014/20141021
  • Last modified: 4 years ago
  • (external edit)