In November 2020, the Association wrote to the Hon. Dr. David Clark (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs), concerning the proposed reform of the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. This correspondence followed an earlier letter from the Association’s Board to the previous Minister (the Hon. Kris Faafoi), in December 2019 on the same subject. The response received from the current Minister encouraged the Association to make a submission to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee when the Bill was introduced to Parliament.

The Association believes that the Bill (as currently drafted) is likely to:

- accelerate the voluntary and involuntary dissolution of CSOs

- impair the recruitment of volunteers to govern and administer CSOs

- reduce the ability of CSOs to deliver the benefits of sport to local communities

- decrease the overall level of participation in CSOs nationally.

In preparing its submission on the Bill to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, the Association notes that nearly 1,000 CSOs have been dissolved by the Registrar in the past five years, in many cases involuntarily for failure to comply with the requirements of the existing Act. Based on a survey of CSOs undertaken since the Bill was introduced to Parliament in April, 98% of respondents were not aware of the Bill and had not been contacted by their national governing body concerning their obligations should it pass into law.

The Association suggests that the current Bill has not adequately canvassed the practical operating circumstances of incorporated CSOs, nor the day-to-day operational and governance challenges CSOs face in delivering sport to Kiwis under the protection of incorporation.

 

We trust that the recommendations contained in our submission are viewed favourably by the members of the Committee and in the event that the Bill continues to progress to Royal Assent, that the recommendations help CSOs to remain the backbone of all that epitomises the spirit of amateur sport and its role in the social development of communities throughout New Zealand.

You can download the Association's submission, by clicking here.