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Committee Member Duties

This page covers anyone on the management committee who does not hold a named office — that is, anyone who is not the president, secretary, or treasurer. The vice president falls into this category, as do all other elected committee members regardless of what your club calls them.

The law imposes no duties specific to this role. What the law does impose — and this matters — is a set of obligations that apply to every member of the management committee equally, regardless of title. These are the duties this page covers.

What the law says about the role itself

The Act — s.61:

An incorporated association must have a management committee of at least three adults. Of those, one must hold the office of president and another must hold the office of treasurer. The third (and any additional) committee member does not need to hold any particular office.

There is no title, no duty, and no obligation specific to the "general committee member" role. You are on the committee — and that is what triggers the obligations below.

The Model Rules — r.18(1):

The Model Rules specify that the management committee consists of: a president, a treasurer, and "any other members the association members elect at a general meeting."

"Any other members" is all the Act and Model Rules say about your position. Everything else — what you're called, what responsibilities you hold, whether you chair a sub-committee — comes from your club's own constitution or a committee resolution.

Your obligations as a committee member

These apply to every member of the management committee. Named officers (president, secretary, treasurer) have these obligations plus their position-specific ones. As a general committee member, these are your only legal obligations.

Obligation Source Where to read
Eligibility — 5 disqualification grounds s.61A See below
Duty of care and diligence s.70E Officer Duties
Duty of good faith s.70F Officer Duties
No misuse of position or information ss.70G, 70H Officer Duties
No insolvent trading s.70I Officer Duties
Declare conflicts of interest ss.70B–70C Officer Duties
Remuneration disclosure at AGM s.70D Annual Obligations
Grievance procedure — participate appropriately s.47A Officer Duties
Volunteer immunity (acting in good faith) Civil Liability Act 2003 (Qld) s.39 Legal & Risk

Breach of the four officer duties or the conflict of interest rules carries a penalty of up to 60 penalty units ($10,014 at 2025/26 rates) per offence.

For all other shared obligations — child safety, WHS, privacy, anti-discrimination — see Other Legal Obligations. These apply to every committee member equally.

Eligibility — s.61A

A person cannot serve as a committee member in any capacity if they:

  1. Have been convicted of an indictable offence and the rehabilitation period has not yet expired under the Criminal Law (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act 1992 (Qld)
  2. Have been convicted summarily and sentenced to imprisonment — not including default imprisonment for failing to pay a fine — and the rehabilitation period has not yet expired
  3. Are an undischarged bankrupt under the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth)
  4. Have executed a deed of arrangement under the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) and its terms have not been fully complied with
  5. Have had creditors accept a composition and the final payment under the composition has not yet been made

These five grounds apply to every committee member, including the president, secretary, and treasurer. There are no grounds specific to a particular position.

What you are NOT responsible for

As a general committee member (with no named office), you have no individual obligations for:

  • Financial records — that is the treasurer's responsibility (and the committee's collective obligation)
  • Meeting minutes and OFT filings — the secretary's responsibility
  • Chairing meetings — the president's responsibility (with the fallback that members choose one of their number if the president is absent — r.23(9) for committee meetings, r.37(3)(b) for general meetings)
  • OFT notification of officer changes — the secretary notifies OFT within 1 month of changes to president, secretary, or treasurer (s.68). General committee member appointments and changes are not covered by this obligation

However — and this is important — the committee as a whole is collectively responsible for the club's financial records, financial statements, and AGM presentation. If the treasurer fails to keep adequate records, every committee member is at risk. "I'm not the treasurer" is not a legal defence if you were aware of the problem and took no action.

Sources

  • ← Club Support
  • Governance — ClubIQ guides and governance resources
  • Legal & Risk — volunteer protection, insurance, incidents
  • Vice President Legal Duties — same legal position, with the addition of a club-defined deputising role
  • Officer Duties — the four personal duties in full detail
  • Other Legal Obligations — child safety, WHS, privacy (applies to all committee members)
  • President Legal Duties — if you want to understand the obligations of named officers

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