New Compliance Obligations and Penalties for Incorporated Associations
Associations Legislation Amendment Bill 2026
Topics
corporate governance dispute resolution financial auditing incorporated associations member registers non-profit organizations
Introduced by: The Hon Robyn Cahill OAM, MLA (CLP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
Incorporated associations must provide members with free copies or inspections of the register of members; failure to do so carries a fine of up to 20 penalty units (2026: $3,880).
Tier 1 incorporated associations and their committee members face fines of up to 100 penalty units (2026: $19,400) for failing to audit accounts.
Public officers of incorporated associations can be fined up to 100 penalty units (2026: $19,400) for ignoring the Director of Licensing NT's order to use the constitutional dispute resolution process.
The Director of Licensing NT can seize books, make copies, and force people to explain the contents of those books during investigations.
The Director of Licensing NT can order an association to hold a general meeting to resolve disputes about how the association is run.
The Director of Licensing NT can demand more information from applicants before deciding whether to issue a certificate of incorporation.
The Director of Licensing NT must refuse to incorporate an association if it uses an unauthorised name; the Trade, Business and Asian Relations Minister can override this refusal.