Like many organisations, Wingecarribee Shire Council relies on a wide variety of committed volunteers who provide assistance across a number of areas for our community.
Volunteering is a rewarding way to get involved, meet new people, and make a real difference to people's lives the Southern Highlands. Through their commitment and energy, volunteers enrich the fabric of our community and help to make society a better place.
Council would like to thank each and every one of our volunteers for their selfless dedication, community spirit, and for helping to make the Highlands a wonderful place to be.
Wingecarribee Shire Council's Volunteer Handbook(PDF, 10MB)
If you'd like to get involved, Council currently offers volunteering opportunities in the following areas.
New volunteers are always welcome.
Many of the community groups who have created listings on Council's MyShire Community Directory are seeking new members. Please also consider contributing your time to the successful running of these groups, clubs and associations.
Wingecarribee Bushcare and Rivercare
The Wingecarribee Shire is fortunate to have a diverse number of ecological communities and is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with many iconic species including koalas, platypus, glossy-black cockatoos and Mittagong geebung.
Wingecarribee Bushcare and Rivercare volunteers form a vital component of our community's efforts to protect and restore those natural areas.
More than 160 people from across the Shire participate in Wingecarribee Bushcare and Rivercare. Each year, volunteers assist Council's Bushcare team to plant up to 5000 native plants at more than 30 remnant bushland reserves, wetlands, and riparian areas.
These native plant species are propagated into tube stock by volunteers and Council teams at the Wingecarribee Native Plant Community Nursery at Moss Vale.
You will be asked to show your ID on the first day of your induction as a volunteer.
If you have any questions about joining our volunteer team, please contact Council's Environment Officer for Bushcare and Citizen Science by phone on (02) 4868 0888 or by email at mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au.
Apply online to become an Bushcare or Rivercare volunteer
Complete the Bushcare and Rivercare volunteer induction
Wingecarribee Animal Shelter
The Wingecarribee Animal Shelter team receives support from a large number of committed volunteers, including dog walkers and cat cuddlers.
Some people volunteer their time at the shelter weekly to walk the dogs or help socialise the cats and kittens, while others offer their time simply when they can.
Volunteer dog walking is available on most public holidays but must be pre-arranged with shelter staff. Unfortunately cat cuddling is not available on public holidays.
To volunteer, you must be at least 16 years old. If under the age of 18, you must be accompanied by an adult.
You will be asked to show your ID on the first day of your induction as a volunteer.
Please complete the online application or call the Animal Shelter team on 02 4868 1520 to book an appointment if you'd like to become a volunteer.
Visit the Wingecarribee Animal Shelter page for more information.
Apply online to become an Animal Shelter volunteer
Complete the online induction for Animal Shelter volunteers
Section 355 Management Committees
Section 355 Management Committees assist Council in the management of a number of our community's facilities including halls and sporting grounds.
A range of Council facilities are managed by Section 355 Management Committees under the Local Government Act 1993, with the care, control, and hire of those facilities delegated to each committee.
Council halls managed by volunteer 355 committees include Canyonleigh Community Hall, East Bowral Community Centre, Exeter Village Hall, Hill Top Community Centre, Mittagong Memorial Hall and Playhouse, Moss Vale Senior Citizens and Community Centre, Penrose Hall, Welby Community Hall, Wingello Mechanics Institute, and Yerrinbool Hall.
355 Management Committee volunteer application
In addition to the opportunities listed above with Council, there are more other opportunities available through Volunteering Wingecarribee, a not-for-profit incorporated community organisation servicing our Shire.
Volunteering Wingecarribee is led by a management committee coordinated by a part-time manager and assisted by a group of volunteers.
The organisation is funded by a small allocation from Wingecarribee Shire Council, grants for projects, membership fees, fund raising and donations.
The aim of Volunteering Wingecarribee is to provide a volunteer resource service that:
- Links volunteers and organisations together by providing recruitment and referral services.
- Promotes best-practice and provides training in volunteer management.
- Develops partnerships and facilitates cooperation between organisations that depend on volunteers to encourage shared of resources, skills, and knowledge.
- Promotes the variety of volunteering opportunities available and the benefits of volunteering to all sectors of the community.
- Acts as a resource centre for volunteering to provide advice and information to support volunteer activities.
- Acts as an advocate for volunteering issues.
Volunteering Wingecarribee is a not-for-profit incorporated community organisation.
Get in touch with Volunteering Wingecarribee
By phone: 02 4869 4617
By email: info@volwing.org.au
Online: volwing.org.au
Highlands Community Centres Incorporated are a local community-based organisation that offer services and programs to people living in our Shire.
They offer services and support to children, young people, adults, families and to our Aboriginal community providing a range of support and services.
You can visit their website to find out their latest volunteer opportunites.
Check their Facebook feed for information from Highlands Community Centres, from upcoming events, volunteering opportunities in our local community to other community news and service information.
Contact Highland Community Centres Incorporate
By phone: 02 4862 1122
By email: rose@highlandscommunity.org.au
Online: www.highlandscommunity.org.au
Facebook: Highlands Community Centre Inc Facebook Page
National Volunteer Week (NVW) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering held on 19 – 25 May 2025, with the theme for 2025 "Connecting Communities".
The week-long event recognises the vital support that the millions of volunteers in our country provide to their communities and encourages people to consider volunteering.
National Volunteer Week is a celebration of our power to drive change and ensure volunteering is inclusive of all members of the Australian community.
To celebrate our Volunteers, Council is putting on the Wingecarribee Volunteering Expo at Bowral Memoruial Hall on Tuesday 20 May between 1.00 pm and 3.00 pm. At the FREE expo we invite our community to come and chat with a range of not-for-profit organisations and Council about volunteering opportunities in our local community. Find more information on our event page.