Bellingen Chamber of Commerce

The new Associations Incorporation Act 2009 and Associations Incorporation Regulation 2010 will commence on 1 July 2010.

The contributions made by members of the public, including individuals, associations, peak bodies and others, played a significant role in the development of the new laws.

The reforms will help more than 35,000 associations across the State to operate more effectively and make it easier to manage their affairs.

The changes modernise and streamline processes, support the financial stability of associations and improve their accountability.

The new laws have been carefully designed to make the transition as smooth as possible, recognising that most associations are run by volunteers without professional help.

The most important changes include:

replacing the associations ‘rules’ with a ‘constitution’

introducing a two tiered financial reporting system

more flexibility for meetings and resolutions

introducing statutory duties on committee members

more choice for official address

common seal will no longer be required

introducing the requirement of Australian residency for at least 3 committee members.

A detailed description of the changes is contained in the fact sheet Changes to associations legislation, available from the Fair Trading website at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au

NSW Fair Trading will be conducting free information seminars and presentations at various locations around New South Wales in the coming months.

For more information visit the Fair Trading website or contact the Registry of Co-operatives & Associations on 6333 1400

or FreeCall 1800 502 042.

Authorised by: Stephen Adam, Project Developer, Education and Information Services, NSW Fair Trading, McKell Building, 2/24 Rawson Place, Sydney NSW 2000. Tel: 9619 8725.

For enquiries about the offers or information contained in the email above, please contact the organisation directly.