With the election looming, it would seem that the most effective “Bill” is not the one kissing babies and running around building sites wearing orange reflective gear.
South Australian Not-for-Profits and Charities will benefit from a new bill passed in both houses of parliament on 23rd May. The Statutes Amendment (Commonwealth Registered Entities) Act will see a raft of changes come into effect that will drastically cut the amount of reporting that SA registered charities will need to comply with in order to operate.
Removing the Reporting Burden
The new law, similar in effect to the recently passed Associations Incorporated Amendment Bill introduced by the Tasmanian Government, sees charities registered in SA with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC). This will exempt them from having to report to their State Government as well. The bill also removes the need for relevant charities having to hold a SA Fundraising Licence for some of their activities.
Peak body representatives are praising the changes with SACOSS CEO Ross Womersley claiming this was “a good win” for the sector. The new laws indicate a definite change in Government policy and will likely see further improvements as the momentum of change continues.
The aligning of Government with ACNC reporting criteria have been on the bucket list for the sector since 2013 when the bill was first introduced. However, federal Government involvement at the time put the brakes on development as they announced plans to abolish the ACNC. Subsequent political change and the announcement of the retention of the ACNC in March has seen a desire by all parties to streamline compliance and push through legislation to allow for increased sector development by removing the onerous and often costly burden of reporting to multiple parties.
The Start of Something Bigger
These changes are seen as the tip of the iceberg in terms of compliance reduction. The steady stream of new legislation from different states in recent times indicates there is a growing understanding of the importance of the sector in terms of its contribution to national growth. This is more so in light of the downturn in major industrial sectors such as mining and manufacturing.
The steady movement towards end user funding such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is seeing a massive cultural change being experienced within the Charities and NFP sector. There is a genuine acknowledgement, at both government and sector level, that a combined approach is necessary in order for the outcomes to be successful.
Reports
It is obvious that reporting will still remain a function of most organisations regardless of the political or social situation. Keeping in mind the important basic function of reports to supply information critical to the decision making process, Calxa offers a simple and effective way to make light work of an organisation’s reporting burden. Check out our new supercharged reporting bundles.