The Rights and Responsibilites of Members 

The specific responsibilities that apply to committee members have been outlined in this chapter. However, all members have significant rights and responsibilities.

Members’ responsibilities

Members agree to be bound by the rules of the association unless those rules are inconsistent with the Act or some other legal obligation

The rules of an incorporated association as agreed by members set out the purposes of the association referred to as “objects” in the Act, and the basis on which the association is to be run. In some circumstances members (and others) may be able to take civil action against committee members or the association if it fails to comply with its rules.

Conduct of the association

As incorporated associations traditionally have been regarded as essentially community-based organisations they are largely independent of government intervention. Therefore members in particular have a crucial role in ensuring that their association conducts itself in a way that is acceptable to them. If members fail to be active in ensuring their association is run in a fair, democratic and financially accountable manner, they may end up with an association they no longer wish to be associated with.

False or misleading statements

It is the responsibility of all members to ensure that all documents lodged with Consumer Protection under the Act or presented to meetings of members are accurate. If a person knowingly lodges a document that is false or misleading they commit an offence that can result in criminal prosecution and is subject to a maximum fine of $500

Members’ rights

The Act sets out some other important rights for members. Members cannot give up these rights by simply agreeing to association rules which are inconsistent with these.