Corporation meetings

Meetings are an essential part of ensuring good corporate governance. The Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act) sets out the rules for meetings but there are some parts of the law that corporations can change in their own rule book. This is because the CATSI Act was designed to be flexible to accommodate the needs of corporations. Sometimes holding meetings can be very difficult for corporations in remote parts of Australia, especially if members are located over a large area.

There are two main types of meetings:

• general meetings—open to all members of a corporation
• directors' meetings—for the directors only.

See also the page on online meetings. 

Meetings for members

General meetings

General meetings are open to all members of a corporation. All the people on the current register of members can attend.

A new corporation must hold its first general meeting within three months of registration. After that time a corporation must hold a general meeting every year within five months after the end of the financial year. This meeting is called the annual general meeting (AGM).

After the first general meeting, further general meetings are usually only called for a specific purpose that cannot wait until the next annual general meeting.

Annual general meetings

The AGM is an important meeting held once a year to allow the directors to formally provide the members with information of what has happened over the last 12 months. This includes giving the members reports and financial information, and allowing an opportunity for members to ask questions about how the corporation is managed.

The CATSI Act says that the AGM must be held before the end of November each year. If you are unable to hold your AGM by the end of November you should lodge a request for an extension of time—apply online or download PDF form. Also worth considering is whether you could hold your AGM online.

An AGM, just like any other meeting, will flow much better if it is properly planned and if certain rules and procedures are followed.

You should check your corporation's rule book for rules about your AGM and the business to be conducted at the meeting.

Meetings for directors

Meetings of directors are where decisions about the business of the corporation are made.

Corporations need to set out in their rule book how often their directors' meetings will be held. ORIC recommends that directors meet at least every three months.

Below is a video called Meetings Mean Business, narrated by Brooke Boney. It's a remake of a 2000 video of the same name. The original was narrated by Jimmy Little.

Resources and further information

See also the page on online meetings

Download other templates (all Word documents under 50kb) for:

• appointing a proxy—a person to attend a meeting on your behalf
• if you want to propose a special resolution to replace your rule book:
  • notice of the meeting
  • resolution and draft minutes

See also the fact sheet Minutes of meetings

These issues of the ORIC Oracle newsletter are also relevant to all types of meetings:

• Making decisions (August 2017)
• Chairing meetings (August 2013)