Trinity Associates

Amendments to the Associations Incorporation Act 2015

Recent changes to the Associations Incorporation Act 2015 (WA) will help Incorporated organisations in Western Australia operate more efficiently, and flexibly thanks to new laws passed by State Parliament.

These reforms which impact more than 15,000 not-for-profit organisations currently operating as incorporated associations. These reforms stem from a statutory review of the Act.

Some amendments are now in effect while others will commence once supporting regulations are finalised.

Key changes now in effect:

Technology enabled meetings: Associations can hold meetings using technology (such as video conferencing), unless their rules state otherwise. This makes it easier for members to participate and vote, and help groups engage with people with valuable skills regardless of location;
Cancellations: The Commissioner for Consumer Protection now has the power to cancel an associations incorporation if it's in the public interest;
Fixed term appointments: Associations can appoint auditors and reviewers for between two and five years, if it is specified in their rules;
Improved appeal rights: Expelled members now have better access to apply to the State Administrative Tribunal for review of their explusion;
New rule requirement: Associations need to specify in their rules who is responsible for lodgement of documents with Consumer Protection (Schedule 1, Item 6A).
Other technical amendments: These include expanding the range of eligible beneficiaries under section 24 of the Act, winding up procedures and administrative processes.

Key changes pending commencement:

Name reservation: Associations will be able to reservice a name for up to three months when applying for incorporation or changing name;
Privacy protections: Access to personal information for members can be restricted in certain situations, including when safety is a concern;
Financial restructuring: Associations facing financial difficulty will be able to access small business restructuring provisions under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) to provide an alternative to winding-up in cases of financial difficulty

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West Aussies buying their first home won’t pay any stamp duty on a house valued up to $500,000, saving them nearly $18,000.
🏘 And they'll save money on stamp duty for homes valued up to $700,000 in Perth or Peel, or $750,000 in regional WA.
🌳 First home buyers purchasing vacant land won’t pay stamp duty on purchases up to $350,000, saving them almost $11,000 - and they'll also save money on stamp duty for land valued up to $450,000.
🏢 The Govt lifted the threshold for a stamp duty exemption to $750,000 for off-the-plan strata apartments and townhouses.

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