We are having to cancel the Special  General Meeting- as the Special Resolution needs a little more work

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

AABR members called to a Special General Meeting

AABR members are invited to a Special General Meeting (SGM) on (CANCELLED) Thursday 10 September 2026, from 6–7 pm 

The meeting has one important purpose: to consider two amendments to AABR’s Constitution required as part of our application to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

AABR’s Executive has been working through the considerable process of applying for registration as a charity and gaining Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status for donations. The application is now complete and can be submitted once members agree to the required constitutional changes at an EGM.

It has been a substantial undertaking behind the scenes. While constitutional clauses and compliance requirements might not be the usual tools of the bush regeneration trade, this work is important. It is about putting sound organisational structures in place to support AABR’s work, strengthen our capacity to attract donations and help set AABR up for a strong future.

What changes are proposed?

Two clauses are proposed for inclusion in the Constitution. Their wording comes directly from the ACNC toolkit to meet the requirements of the application.

NOT FOR PROFIT CLAUSE

The assets and income of the organisation shall be applied solely to further its objects and no portion shall be distributed directly or indirectly to the members of the organisation except as genuine compensation for services rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation.

DEDUCTIBLE GIFT RECIPIENT (DGR) REVOCATION CLAUSE

If the organisation is wound up or its endorsement as a deductible gift recipient is revoked (whichever occurs first), any surplus of the following assets shall be transferred to another organisation with similar objects, which is charitable at law, to which income tax deductible gifts can be made:

1. gifts of money or property for the principal purpose of the organisation
   b. contributions made in relation to an eligible fundraising event held for the principal purpose of the organisation
   c. money received by the organisation because of such gifts and contributions.

These clauses are reproduced verbatim from the amendments presented to the AABR Board.

As part of the same ACNC compliance work, AABR has also developed a new Safeguarding Policy, covering the organisation’s responsibilities for protecting people who interact with, or are affected by, AABR’s work.

Updating the Constitution requires the involvement of our members. We encourage all eligible AABR members to attend, hear about the changes and vote on this important step.

There is plenty of work involved in building a resilient organisation, just as there is in building a resilient ecosystem. This governance work gives AABR stronger foundations from which to advocate, educate, share good practice and support Australia’s bush regeneration community for the years ahead.