Incorporation

What is incorporation? 

There are more than 38,000 incorporated associations in Victoria. They are clubs or community groups, operating not-for-profit, whose members have decided to give their organisation a formal legal structure.

When a club or community group incorporates, it becomes a ‘legal person’ – that is, a legal entity that stays the same even if its members change. It can enter into contracts in its own name; for example, to borrow money or buy equipment and it protects the individual members of the association from legal liabilities.

*This information should only be used as a guide, for more comprehensive information about incorporation please visit the Consumer Affairs website below.
Visit website

Incorporation requirements

  • Your organisation may trade, but not in order to distribute profit to its members
  • Your organisation and its office bearers must comply with requirements in the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (linked below), including accounting, auditing and annual reporting requirements
  • Your organisation must pay fees for incorporating and lodging some administrative forms. There may also be costs involved in meeting ongoing statutory obligations, such as financial reporting
  • Your organisation must either have its own procedure for resolving internal disputes, or use the procedure in the model rules for incorporated associations
Reform act

  • Following and complying with the organisation’s constitution and by-laws
  • Setting the organisationʹs policies
  • Monitoring the good order of the organisationʹs finances
  • Vouching for the legality of the organisationʹs operations
  • Overseeing the effectiveness of the organisationʹs procedures
  • Providing leadership and direction

Netball Committee roles and responsibilities 

A committee is a group of people who are elected according the rules or constitution of an organisation to run the organisation on behalf of the members and achieve the organisation’s objectives and goals. It is not the role of the committee to run the organisation, it is the role of the committee to ensure the organisation is run.

  • Ensure the organisation is run according to its rules (constitution), purpose, policies and procedures
  • Comply with all legislation, especially:
  • Association incorporation legislation
  • Member protection, welfare and safety
  • Fundraising legislation
  • Food handling legislation

  • Understand the rules
  • Oversee the financial affairs of the organisation, ensuring the club stays solvent (which means being able to pay your organisation’s bills when they become due)
  • Ensure the sustainability of the organisation financially and in terms of the number of participants and volunteers, access to suitable facilities and community support
  • Create and manage a risk management plan that minimises risks associated with all the organisation’s activities, not just the sporting risks
  • Define and deliver the organisation’s objectives and strategic plan
  • Create your organisation culture and ensure expectations are meet
  • Ensuring the sporting, competitive and social needs of members are met
  • Recruiting, empowering, recognising, rewarding and maintaining volunteers
  • Creating and implementing a succession plan for all roles within the organisation, ensuring that the next generation of volunteers are being identified, developed and trained
  • Regularly communicate with club members
  • Collect, protect, maintain and hand over critical information from one year to the next