News

December 2005        

Changes in the Incorporated Societies Act 1908

Changes to the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 (the Act) came into force in December 2005.
The following changes have been made:

• Societies only need to provide one copy of the rules (not two) when submitting an application for incorporation or alteration to the rules.
• An application for incorporation must now include a certificate (rather than a statutory declaration) completed by an officer of the society or a solicitor certifying that:
         - a majority of the members has consented to the application; and
         - the rules endorsed with the application are the rules of the society
• Alteration to rules must be certified by an officer of the society or a solicitor as having being altered in accordance with the rules of the society.
• The Registrar is no longer required to return a copy of the rules to the society once they have been registered.
• It is no longer compulsory for corporate bodies to affix a common seal when signing as a member applicant for incorporation. The Act has been amended so that a corporate body may attach their seal (if they have one) as part of the signature. 
• The register of members maintained by a society no longer needs to record the member’s occupation.

These changes are relatively minor but make filing requirements easier for people involved with incorporated societies.