- Warning for clubs and groups to check if they risk being cancelled
- Nearly 2,000 associations face deregistration due to apparent inactivity
- Associations must submit their AIS to stay incorporated
Almost 2,000 incorporated associations around Western Australia are on the verge of being cancelled for failing to confirm their operational status for the past two years or more.
The move is part of ongoing efforts by Consumer Protection to identify not-for-profit clubs and associations that are no longer operating, as evidenced by their failure to submit required Annual Information Statements (AIS). A total of 4,414 incorporated associations in WA have been deregistered since the initiative began in 2023.
Attempts to contact a further 1,930 associations are continuing, but with mail often returned undeliverable, it is likely they have changed their contact information without notifying Consumer Protection and have not received reminders to submit the AIS. Since Consumer Protection is unable to directly contact these groups, notice about our action to cancel their incorporation is being published online.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Trish Blake stressed that fulfilling reporting responsibilities and keeping contact details updated were essential for associations to avoid being de-registered.
“Given the important role associations like sport clubs, school P&Cs and volunteer groups often play in communities, being cancelled due to a simple oversight could be a devastating loss,” Ms Blake said.
“Consumer Protection will never cancel an association without plenty of warnings and attempts to contact committee members, but it’s important this contact is not ignored.
“Deregistration has severe consequences – not only will an association lose its legal identity, its name protection and ability to use ‘incorporated’, its members risk personal liability for debts, and any remaining assets are seized by the State Government.
“Incorporated associations can avoid these issues by lodging their AIS every year. This simple online form, which only takes five minutes to complete, asks a few questions about the association’s activities, the annual general meeting and revenue.”
All incorporated associations are encouraged to check their deregistration risk by consulting the list published online by Consumer Protection.
A notice is being issued in the coming weeks to affected incorporated associations. Groups that are still operating need to act and complete any outstanding AIS by 16 June 2025. Users will need an AssociationsOnline account to complete any outstanding AIS’s online or can email a manual form to infostatements@demirs.wa.gov.au
For help with registering and linking an AssociationsOnline user account to an incorporated association, please contact aohelp@demirs.wa.gov.au
Further information about the reporting responsibilities of incorporated associations is available on the Consumer Protection website. Enquiries can be made by calling 1300 30 40 74 or emailing associations@demirs.wa.gov.au
Media Contact: cpmedia@demirs.wa.gov.au