Voting Rights Explained

Annual General Meetings (AGMs) are more than an annual obligation. They’re one of the most important opportunities an organisation has to demonstrate transparency, accountability and good governance. A well-run AGM gives members confidence that decisions are made fairly, directors remain accountable, and voting is conducted accurately. A poorly managed AGM can lead to disputes, procedural […]

Virtual AGMs are no longer a temporary solution. For many Australian organisations, they have become a normal part of governance. The challenge is that running an AGM online is not the same as moving a physical meeting onto Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Boards often focus on the technology first. In practice, the real risks usually […]

For many organisations, hybrid AGMs have gone from being a contingency plan to becoming the preferred meeting format. Members expect flexibility. Some want to attend in person. Others are interstate, travelling, working remotely, or simply prefer to join online. A well-run hybrid AGM can increase participation and make meetings more accessible without sacrificing governance standards. […]

An AGM can be routine. It can also be the meeting that creates six months of governance headaches. Most disputes we see around annual general meetings are not caused by major misconduct. They come from avoidable mistakes: incorrect notice periods, unclear voting procedures, poorly managed proxies, disputed elections, quorum issues, or technology that leaves members […]

Annual General Meetings rarely fail because of one major issue. More often, problems come from small oversights that build up over time — an incorrect notice period, unclear proxy instructions, confusion about voting rights, poor chairing, technical failures, or simply assuming members understand the process. The frustrating part is that most AGM problems are preventable. […]

A meeting can have the right notice, a well-prepared agenda, experienced chairing, and strong member engagement. Yet if there is no quorum, none of the decisions may stand. It is one of the most common governance issues encountered across companies, associations, unions, clubs, strata schemes, and member-based organisations. Boards often focus heavily on voting procedures […]

Running a virtual meeting sounds straightforward until you’re responsible for one that actually matters — an AGM or a member meeting where the outcome has legal weight. At that point, it stops being about “just jumping on Zoom” and becomes a governance exercise. Done properly, a virtual meeting can be just as robust as an […]

If you’ve been involved in AGMs for any length of time, you’ll know most votes start with a show of hands. It’s quick, visible, and for routine matters, usually enough. But it’s not always the final word. Where the outcome really matters — or where there’s any doubt — the meeting will often move to […]

If you’re dealing with company meetings — especially online ones — section 249R is the provision that tends to matter more than people expect. It sits inside the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), and on its face, it’s fairly simple. But in practice, it’s what determines whether a virtual meeting actually holds up if it’s ever […]

Virtual AGMs for Not-for-Profits — What the Rules Actually Say Virtual AGMs are no longer a stop-gap. For many not-for-profits, they’ve become the default — and in plenty of cases, they work better than a room full of folding chairs and patchy attendance. The short answer is yes: most Australian not-for-profits can hold virtual AGMs. […]