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The Model Rules — Reference
What Schedule 4 of the Associations Incorporation Regulation 1999 sets out, rule by rule, and what it doesn't cover.
The Model Rules are Queensland's standard constitution for incorporated associations. They are set out in Schedule 4 of the Associations Incorporation Regulation 1999 (Qld) and consist of 50 rules covering every aspect of how an incorporated association operates.
Full text: legislation.qld.gov.au
This page is the reference index — what the rules are and what they cover. For the case for adopting the Model Rules, see Why Adopt the Model Rules.
What the Model Rules are
The Model Rules are not legislation in their own right — they are a schedule to the Associations Incorporation Regulation 1999 (Qld), which is delegated legislation under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld). Their legal status comes from that Act.
Under the Act:
- A club can adopt the Model Rules as its entire constitution when registering (s.46) or later by special resolution (s.48)
- A club can add supplementary rules on top of the Model Rules for anything the Model Rules don't cover or that the club wants to customise (s.47)
- Where a club's custom constitution is silent on a matter, the Model Rules provision for that matter applies automatically (s.47)
The Model Rules are maintained by the Queensland Government and updated when the Act changes. They are free.
The 50 rules — full index
Membership (rr.1–14)
| Rule | Topic |
|---|---|
| r.1 | Interpretation — definitions used throughout |
| r.2 | Name — the association's registered name |
| r.3 | Objects — the association's stated purposes |
| r.4 | Powers — what the association can do |
| r.5 | Classes of members |
| r.6 | Automatic membership |
| r.7 | New membership — application process |
| r.8 | Membership fees |
| r.9 | Admission and rejection of new members |
| r.10 | When membership ends |
| r.11 | Appeal against rejection or termination |
| r.12 | General meeting to decide appeal |
| r.13 | Register of members |
| r.14 | Prohibition on use of register information |
Grievance Procedure (rr.12A–12F)
These rules sit between r.12 and r.13 — they were inserted by the 2020 amendment to the Act and took effect 1 July 2024.
| Rule | Topic |
|---|---|
| r.12A | Grievance procedure — the formal process |
| r.12B | When grievance procedure is not continued |
| r.12C | Appointment of mediator |
| r.12D | Conduct of mediation |
| r.12E | Representation for grievance procedure |
| r.12F | Electronic communication for grievance procedure |
The grievance procedure is mandatory for all Queensland incorporated associations. Under rr.12A–12F, the secretary manages the process in normal circumstances; the president manages it when the grievance involves the secretary; another committee member manages it when the grievance involves the president.
Secretary (rr.15–17)
| Rule | Topic |
|---|---|
| r.15 | Appointment or election of secretary |
| r.16 | Removal of secretary |
| r.17 | Functions of secretary |
Management Committee (rr.18–29)
| Rule | Topic |
|---|---|
| r.18 | Membership of management committee — president, treasurer, and any other elected members |
| r.19 | Electing the management committee |
| r.20 | Resignation, removal, or vacation of office |
| r.21 | Vacancies on management committee |
| r.22 | Functions of management committee |
| r.23 | Meetings of management committee — quorum, president chairs (r.23(8)), fallback chair (r.23(9)), tied vote in negative (r.23(7)) |
| r.24 | Quorum for, and adjournment of, committee meeting |
| r.25 | Special meeting of management committee |
| r.26 | Minutes of management committee meetings — kept by secretary (r.26(1)), signed by chairperson (r.26(2)) |
| r.27 | Appointment of subcommittees |
| r.28 | Acts not affected by defects or disqualifications |
| r.29 | Resolutions without meeting |
General Meetings (rr.30–41)
| Rule | Topic |
|---|---|
| r.30 | First annual general meeting |
| r.31 | Subsequent annual general meetings |
| r.31A | Management committee members to be elected at AGM |
| r.32 | Other AGM business — large and some medium/small associations |
| r.33 | Other AGM business — other medium associations |
| r.34 | Other AGM business — other small associations |
| r.35 | Notice of general meeting — 21 days' notice, special resolution notice requirements |
| r.36 | Quorum for, and adjournment of, general meeting |
| r.37 | Procedure at general meeting — president chairs (r.37(3)(a)), fallback chair (r.37(3)(b)) |
| r.38 | Voting at general meeting — president's casting vote (r.38(2)) |
| r.39 | Special general meeting |
| r.40 | Proxies |
| r.41 | Minutes of general meetings — kept by secretary (r.41(1)), signed by chairperson (r.41(2)) |
Administration (rr.42–48)
| Rule | Topic |
|---|---|
| r.42 | By-laws |
| r.43 | Alteration of rules — special resolution, OFT lodgement within 3 months |
| r.44 | Repealed |
| r.45 | Funds and accounts |
| r.46 | General financial matters |
| r.47 | Documents — custody and signing |
| r.48 | Financial year |
Winding Up (rr.49–50)
| Rule | Topic |
|---|---|
| r.49 | Distribution of surplus assets to another entity |
| r.50 | Transfer and distribution of assets on winding-up |
The key rules for committee members
Most day-to-day governance questions come back to a small number of rules:
| What you need to know | Rule |
|---|---|
| Who is on the committee | r.18 |
| Who chairs committee meetings | r.23(8) |
| What happens if the president is absent (committee meeting) | r.23(9) |
| What happens on a tied vote at a committee meeting | r.23(7) |
| Who keeps committee meeting minutes | r.26(1) |
| Who signs committee meeting minutes | r.26(2) |
| Who chairs general meetings | r.37(3)(a) |
| What happens if the president is absent (general meeting) | r.37(3)(b) |
| President's casting vote at general meetings | r.38(2) |
| Who keeps general meeting minutes | r.41(1) |
| Who signs general meeting minutes | r.41(2) |
| Notice required for a general meeting | r.35 |
| How to change the rules | r.43 |
What the Model Rules do NOT cover
The Model Rules are a governance framework — not an operational manual. They do not tell clubs:
- How to manage a playing schedule or court allocation
- How to handle grants, sponsorships, or fundraising
- What a club's fees should be or how to set them
- How to run events, come-and-try programs, or competitions
- What membership categories a croquet club should have
These operational matters can be addressed by supplementary rules (s.47) or by committee resolution. The Model Rules create the framework within which the club then decides these things.
The 2020 amendment — what changed
The Associations Incorporation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2020 made the most significant changes to association law in decades. The Model Rules were updated to include:
- Rr.12A–12F — grievance procedure (effective 1 July 2024)
- Rr.31A, 32–34 — updated AGM provisions distinguishing large, medium, and small associations
- Other consequential amendments
The officer duties (ss.70E–70J of the Act) and conflict of interest provisions (ss.70B–70C) were inserted into the Act itself — they are not in the Model Rules, but they apply to all committee members regardless of whether the club has adopted the Model Rules.
Sources
Associations Incorporation Regulation 1999 (Qld), Schedule 4 (Model Rules) — legislation.qld.gov.au. Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld) — ss.46, 47, 47A, 48 — legislation.qld.gov.au. Associations Incorporation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2020 (Qld) — legislation.qld.gov.au.