In short. Approach to new regulations require diligence and planning. One such component is the requirement to have a Contact Person for the society and to notify the Register of Incorporated Societies within twenty (20) days of appointing, or changing contact person.
Approach to new regulations require diligence and planning. One such component is the requirement to have a Contact Person for the society and to notify the Register of Incorporated Societies within twenty (20) days of appointing, or changing contact person Under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022,
Section 26(1)(g) of the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 provides that a Incorporated Society must have at least one (1) contact person (but no more than three(3) ). The constitution must set out how the contact person will be elected or appointed.
The Contact Person has to be at least eighteen (18) years of age and ordinarily a resident in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Contact Person may hold other positions in the society in addition to being a Contact Person.
If the Contact Person resigns, the position needs to be filled within twenty (20) working days and notified to the Register of Incorporated Societies within twenty (20) days.
Section's 112 to 116 of the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 provide specific detail on how an Incorporated Society should act, and the duties an Incorporated Society should undertake with regard to an Incorporated Society.
Many Incorporated Societies tend to be somewhat neglectful of their avenues of contact, including social media, search engine optimisation, and online presence and relevance. The subsequent changes to the act also present opportunities to evaluate this and build a presence.
That presence can increase revenue and evaluating this as a opportunity for your society needs to be on the agenda when considering your next steps.
In some of the evaluation and compliance work that Working For Workers conducts for Incorporated Societies, Working For Workers has improved the society by increasing the avenues for contact at the same time as reducing the paperwork burden for the Contact Person using software that enables far and wide reach. This also typically has the effect of increasing the Incorporated Societies revenue.
With that being said, now is the time to make considerations in this area before it is too late. There is a world of opportunity awaiting any Incorporated Society who prepares their organisation to comply with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 and is looking to re-structure the organisation going forward to be efficient and responsive to people’s needs.
Legislation cited is linked to the current consolidated text on the New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office website at legislation.govt.nz. Statutory references are to the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 and the Incorporated Societies Regulations 2023 as in force at the date of this article. This article is general information about the law and is not legal advice; for advice on a particular society, contact Working for Workers.
Whether you are re-drafting a constitution, sorting out governance or membership, running a meeting, resolving a dispute, managing a conflict of interest, winding up, or restoring a removed society, Working for Workers can help you get it right under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022.
Working for Workers supports people and organisations across four areas of practice:
Fairness in Law · ACC Law · Employment Law · Incorporated Societies Evaluation
Wherever your society is at, get in touch and we will help you work out where you stand.