The General Manager has released his final statement in response to the Registered Organisations Governance and Compliance External Review conducted by independent reviewers Anna Booth and Jonathan Hamberger.
The review was commissioned following the transfer of the functions of the Registered Organisations Commissioner to the General Manager in March 2023. The reviewers consulted with registered organisations, their peak bodies and Commission staff to identify opportunities to improve service delivery and identify barriers to promoting best practice governance and the democratic functioning of registered organisations.
The reviewers delivered their final report on 21 August 2023, and on 28 September 2023 the General Manager published the review report and committed to closely examining the feasibility of implementing each of the recommendations. These documents can be accessed here:
- Registered Organisations Governance and Compliance External Review Report
- General Manager’s response to the review findings and recommendations
The vast majority of the recommendations that do not require legislative reform have now been implemented in full including:
- the development of a new Compliance and Enforcement Policy
- increased stakeholder engagement through regular quarterly meetings with the Registered Organisations Advisory Committee and the Compliance Practitioners’ Reference Group, as well as increased engagement with other stakeholders like the Australian Electoral Commission
- the creation of a model financial statement
- several education items including the Compliance Practitioner’s Induction Kit and an additional update to the Officer Induction Kit
- significant reduction in the time taken to process right of entry permits, with the median time dropping from 28 days to 14 days; and
- the creation of two sets of model election rules, which we are confident will aid organisations in reducing the time and complexity associated with rule changes.
The General Manager has provided detailed information to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations on the recommendations that require legislative change for consideration.
The General Manager specifically wishes to thank the registered organisations and their peak bodies for their time spent providing their insights and feedback, as well as the reviewers for their expertise and experience during this period of significant transformation.
Read the full statement below:
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