Tomboye Landcare

Tony is updating this website today and then will do the following;

• Contact local people for which he has an email address (Please pass on to others who may be interested).
• Invite people to look at the website and provide feedback

To start the Tomboye Landcare group

• Invite those interested in the Landcare project to let Tony know
• To plan for the inaugural Landcare meeting
  • Seek input to a possible constitution and rules
  • To book a time and date for the first meeting
  • Suggested date and time 4pm Sunday the 23rd of January
    at “LaSource” – Tony and Isabelles.

Today it was determined that;

• Joining Landcare  is a good way to further some of the issues raised by local people.
• The Landcare movement will supply information and support for us to get started
• if I (Tony) is building a resource for the local Landcare group online, why not open it up to support the local community as a whole.

Recently we have identified a consensus that Landcare is the answer and have obtained support from a nearby resident who has had experience in the Landcare movement and is keen to help us get started.

http://www.mycommittee.com

http://www.mycommittee.com/BestPractice/Committees/Toolsandtemplates/tabid/247/Default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee

Incorporated associations are required to have documented rules. These may be:

* the model rules,
* the model rules with changes, or
* their own rules.

When an association is incorporated or amends its rules it is required to provide the following documents with the Application for incorporation (Form 1) or Notice of alteration of rules (Form 6):

* adopting the Model rules – a copy of the model rules is NOT required to be lodged with a Form 1 or Form 6
* adopting the Model rules with changes – only the specific changes or additions to the model rules are required to be lodged with Form 1 or Form 6
* adopting their own rules – on incorporation a full set of the rules is lodged with Form 1, thereafter only the specific rule changes or additions to the association’s rules are required to be lodged with Form 6.

Note: When an association adopts the model rules with changes it should not incorporate the changes into the model rules for the purpose of lodging that document. This prevents uncertainty as to what has been changed in the model rules. An association that chooses to incorporate changes or additions into the model rules (rather than setting out those changes separately) is considered to have adopted its own rules.

To keep it simple I propose we endeavor to adopt the Model Rules without modification. Details and a PDF of these rules can be found at

http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/Cooperatives_and_associations/Associations/Rules_and_obligations/Model_rules.html

On Consideration of the various options for the creation of our committee it appears that Incorporation is a wise move.

Incorporation is the cheapest and quickest way to become a legal entity.

For most organisations, the choice of structures is between company status and incorporation. Limited companies are highly regulated; incorporated associations are lightly regulated. Setting up a company is complicated and expensive; incorporating as an association is comparatively cheap and simple. Unless your organisation is very big indeed, or carries on a lot of business, your best option will probably be to become an incorporated association.

Incorporation is a system of State Government or Territory registration that gives an association or community groups certain legal advantages in return for accepting certain legal responsibilities. An incorporated association is a registered legal entity usually for recreational, cultural or charitable purposes with at least five members and all profits applied to the purposes of the association. It receives recognition as a legal entity separate from its members and offers some protection for office holders from any debts or liabilities incurred by the group as long as the association doesn’t make a profit for its members.

Source:

http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/directories/directories_article.jsp?articleId=2103

I expect we will need to be a legal entity if we are to establish agreements or contracts and seek grants.