By CroquetClaude · 4 min read
Treasurer — Officer Duties
The four personal legal duties every officer holds, with the treasurer's particular exposure on insolvent trading and financial conflicts.
As treasurer of an incorporated association, you are an officer under Queensland law. The Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld) imposes four personal legal duties on every officer. These were introduced by the Associations Incorporation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2020 and are modelled on corporate director duties.
These duties apply to every committee officer, not just the treasurer, and are identical for all positions — see Committee — Shared Legal Duties for the full explanation of each one. The treasurer faces one additional exposure: the "no insolvent trading" duty is especially relevant because you have direct knowledge of the club's financial position. Below is a short reminder of each duty, plus what it means specifically for the treasurer.
Breach of any of these duties carries a penalty of up to 60 penalty units ($10,362 at 2026/27 rates, re-checked each 1 July) per offence.
The four duties
1. Care and diligence
Stay informed about the club's finances and operations (s.70E — see Committee — Shared Legal Duties for the full duty).
For the treasurer specifically: you are expected to know the financial position of the club. Attending meetings without reading the accounts, or signing documents without understanding them, does not protect you.
2. Good faith
Exercise your powers honestly, in the club's best interests, and for a proper purpose (s.70F — see Committee — Shared Legal Duties for the full duty).
3. No misuse of position or information
Do not misuse your position or financial information you obtain through your role (s.70G, s.70H — see Committee — Shared Legal Duties for the full duty). For the treasurer, this includes using knowledge of the club's finances to benefit yourself or another person at the club's expense.
4. No insolvent trading
If you have reason to believe the club cannot pay its debts as they fall due, do not approve new spending — raise it formally at a committee meeting and have it minuted (s.70I — see Committee — Shared Legal Duties for the full duty).
For the treasurer: you are the person most likely to know first. If the accounts show the club is struggling to meet its obligations, you must raise it at committee — not quietly manage around it. Silence does not protect you.
Conflicts of interest
Conflict of interest disclosure is mandatory under s.70B and s.70C — see Committee — Shared Legal Duties for the full six-step declaration process.
Common treasurer scenario: a supplier the treasurer has a personal connection to is being considered for club work. The treasurer must declare the interest, leave the room during that discussion, and not vote on it.
| Failure | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Non-disclosure at committee meeting | Up to 60 penalty units ($10,362 at 2026/27 rates, re-checked each 1 July) | s.70B(1) |
| Non-disclosure at general meeting | Up to 60 penalty units ($10,362 at 2026/27 rates, re-checked each 1 July) | s.70B(2) |
| Failure to record the disclosure in the minutes | Up to 4 penalty units ($691 at 2026/27 rates, re-checked each 1 July) per committee member | s.70B(6) |
A ready-to-use declaration form is not public yet.
Grievance procedure
Since 1 July 2024, every Queensland incorporated association must have a formal grievance procedure. The treasurer's role in this is the same as every other committee member — administrative, not adjudicative.
How it works: the member with the complaint writes to the other party, and also to the management committee if the committee is not the other party. Both sides must first try, in good faith, to sort it out. If it is not sorted out within 14 days, the member has a further 21 days to ask the secretary to refer it to mediation. The committee must then refer it within 14 days.
If a member's complaint is against the club itself, the club cannot take disciplinary action against that member until the grievance procedure is finished.
Source: s.47A(5); Model Rules rr.12A–12F
A related protection: reliance on advice
You are allowed to rely on advice from qualified professionals (accountants, lawyers, other experts) when making decisions. This is not a fifth duty — it is a protection: acting in good faith on properly obtained professional advice supports your defence if a decision is later questioned (s.70J).
For the treasurer: if you engaged a qualified accountant to prepare or review the accounts and acted on their advice, that reliance is a recognised defence.
Sources
Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld) — ss.47A, 70B, 70C, 70E, 70F, 70G, 70H, 70I, 70J. Associations Incorporation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (Qld).
Last fact check: 23 September 2026