[no bill text published] New Compliance Obligations and Penalties for Incorporated Associations

Associations Legislation Amendment Bill 2026

Assembly

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Official page: progress through parliament

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.
Tier 1 incorporated associations and their committee members face fines of up to 100 penalty units for failing to audit accounts.
Public officers of incorporated associations can be fined up to 100 penalty units for ignoring a Director's order to use the constitutional dispute resolution process.
The Director can seize books, make copies, and force people to explain the contents of those books during investigations.
The Director can order an association to hold a general meeting to resolve disputes about how the association is run.
The Director can demand more information from applicants before deciding whether to issue a certificate of incorporation.
The Director must refuse to incorporate an association if it uses an unauthorised name; the Minister can override this refusal.

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