Bills
Associations and Co-operatives Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Second reading
Resumed from an earlier stage of the sitting.
Mrs Magenta Marshall (Rockingham) (3:02 pm): I rise to support the Associations and Co-operatives Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 before the house. We heard contributions from the minister and other members about how this bill will modernise and streamline the processes for incorporation and management of not-for-profit organisations. Given a lot of members want to make a contribution on this legislation, I will take this opportunity to talk about some of the fantastic groups and associations in my electorate and put on record my support for them.
I have always been a passionate believer in building strong local communities. In my experience, that has been through soccer or football clubs as a mentor, player, coach and committee member. Some of my greatest friendships have resulted from being involved in those clubs. That is why I am really passionate about making sure that other people in our community are afforded that same opportunity.
In Rockingham, we have HMAS Stirling in our backyard. My electorate is rightfully filled with defence families and many ex-defence personnel. The Rockingham RSL has played a vital role in providing that unwavering support to our local veterans, service members and their families. Beyond honouring the legacy of those who have served, the RSL fosters a sense of belonging and offers essential welfare services to people in my community. They make sure the sacrifices of our veterans are never forgotten and I want to thank them all, in particular, President Ibby, Treasurer and Secretary, Tina, as well as committee members Mark and Wolfy for their efforts. I was really proud at the recent election to make an election commitment of $24,000 towards kitchen and dance floor upgrades at their hall at the beautiful Point Peron so that they can continue to thrive into the future.
Another important ex-service group in my electorate of Rockingham is the Rockingham branch of the Naval Association of Western Australia. Under the leadership of Chook, or Garrie, the Rockingham Navy Club is another wonderful home for ex-sailors in our region. It is also based in the beautiful Point Peron and is run by an amazing group of volunteers, including Bob, Mal and Julie. They have ambitions to keep growing and to become a local community hub for families. I am really excited to continue working with them on their project to deliver a naval museum.
In Rockingham, we have so many amazing service organisations and groups that go above and beyond. As is probably the case in many electorates, there are volunteers at these clubs who seem to have many hats and work in different organisations throughout the community. I want to pay tribute to them all but, unfortunately, I do not have the time, so I will focus on three key organisations. The Rockingham Rotary Club, of which I am a proud member, does lots of really important work in our community. One thing it does annually is hold the Mind the Walk fundraiser, which raises funds for the South Coastal Health and Community Services, particularly for mental health support. This year, Mind the Walk will be held on 2 November. It is a great opportunity to see our beautiful Rockingham foreshore and to hear the history of our region, particularly how much Rotary has contributed to Rockingham's development.
Recently, I was really thrilled to go along to the opening of the Rockingham Beach Education Support Centre's new sensory room named the "Alice Room" in honour of former student Alice and the Underwood family for their fundraising efforts. This sensory room was made possible by the fundraising donation from the Rockingham Rotary Club. I wanted to put on record the amazing work that they do. This is a snippet of some of the achievements that it has had, just in the last year. I want to particularly thank President Bushy, incoming president for the new year, Darrell, and all the hardworking volunteers, including Roy, Michelle, Davina, Carlos, Donnah, Wayne, Craig, Riz and Pooley, though I am sure there are many more.
Another great service organisation in Rockingham is the Palm Beach Rotary Club. It does a lot of great work across the community, including fundraising and supporting the Cycling Without Age team. We heard from the member for Butler about how important that organisation is. It also supports local iconic events in Rockingham like the Rockingham Beach Cup and Catalpa festival. Most notably, I wanted to mention its support for little penguins in Rockingham by partnering with scientists on the island and developing, designing, constructing and installing nesting boxes for little chicks. We know that climate change is the biggest threat facing penguin populations and, as the years have gone on, it has innovated these nest boxes to be more adaptable and provide greater support in the harsh climate conditions by insulating them, painting them different colours and installing them at different times of year. I wanted to thank President Rick as well as other committee members, Kiralee, Deb, Neil and Raelene to name a few.
Given the time, and I know that there are many other members who want to talk about some of the fantastic groups in their electorates, I quickly mention the Lions Club of Rockingham, of which I am also a proud member. It coordinates significant fundraising programs throughout the community and then distributes the funds towards worthy initiatives and people in need. One of its biggest annual fundraisers is Christmas gift wrapping at the Rockingham Centre, which requires a gold coin donation. Although I hate wrapping and I am really not very good at it, I have donated my time to this in the last two years, and it was amazing to see how generous people are, giving either $5, $10, $20 or $50 notes instead of a gold coin donation—even for my shoddy wrapping. It was really cool to see. In 2023, that Lions Club was able to distribute more than $32,000 to local organisations, including schools, emergency relief centres, women's refuges and schools as well as individual cases of people in extreme circumstances. Beyond fundraising, the Lions Club of Rockingham also helped foster a stronger local community by visiting local aged care home Gracehaven in Rockingham and running different craft activities there to bring joy and connection to some of those residents. I want to give a shout-out to that amazing club, particularly to its President, Ray, Secretary, Sylvana, Treasurer, David, and the other hardworking members, including Deb, Elaine, Paul, Lorraine and young Leo Luke. I think I might leave my contribution there. There are many more organisations that could be mentioned, but I am sure that many other members also feel the same. We are really lucky to have so many associations and cooperatives throughout our great state, particularly in Rockingham. I am really looking forward to seeing how this bill can support their work and make it easier for them to go about their business. Thank you very much.
Mr David Scaife (Cockburn—Parliamentary Secretary) (3:09 pm): I rise to contribute to the Associations and Co-operatives Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. I had the pleasure of contributing to this bill in its form when it was introduced in the last Parliament; therefore, I will keep my comments relatively brief. On that note, can I say, Acting Speaker, how great it is to have all these new members on the government benches involved. They are great because they are so diverse and talented, but they are also great because they are starting to put me out of a job. Members who were here in the last Parliament will know that my specialty in this place was, you might say, filling time. That would be a charitable way to refer to it.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: Making important contributions!
Mr David Scaife: Sorry, making important contributions to this place. But I am no longer required to do that because of the great work of the new members on the government benches. Thank you for that.
My contribution is a little bit different from the other contributions because I want to make a contribution in the spirit of bipartisanship. I was listening really intently to the contributions from the member for Nedlands and the member for Roe. On the member for Nedlands' mandate when it comes to deregulation, I think there is a conversation to be had around the compliance regime for incorporated associations and what we could look at in the future to reduce the burden on some of our smaller incorporated associations. I do not think now is the time to do it. I do not think we should rush that. However, it goes to comments that other members have made about how difficult it is to find volunteers for associations. I think there are observations to be made about the churn in the executive—people come in and may be the president or treasurer only for a year. A lot of their time has to be spent coming up to speed on the legislative and administrative requirements. The act already distinguishes between associations with lower and higher turnover; however, I think that there is a possibility in the future to think about whether there is more we can do to reduce that burden.
I want to respond to the member for Roe because I listened to his contribution with great interest. As the member for Roe said, the biggest cooperative in Australia—not just in WA—is Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd. Indeed, most cooperatives in Western Australia and around the whole nation are in the agricultural industry. It is a quirk of cooperatives and their history that most of them are focused in the primary industries. I pose the question: why is that? I think the answer is clear. It is because the regions and our agricultural communities have a great history in Australia of agrarian socialism.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: They love a good government intervention.
Mr David Scaife: And they love a good community ownership! They love it when communities' own assets, Minister for Manufacturing. That is why we see things like the Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative, CBH, the Western Australian Meat Marketing Co-operative—all these cooperatives based on agricultural industries—because there is a great history of agrarian socialism. So, I say to the member for Roe, we should be able to find some common ground here around collective ownership of important community produce and of the means of production. There is a great opportunity here.
I was so pleased to get a bunch of questions from the member for Central Wheatbelt during consideration in detail of the Railway (Roy Hill Infrastructure Pty Ltd) Agreement Amendment Bill. He was very interested in local participation plans. I will admit, I am not actually sure whether anyone on the opposition benches understood the questions they were asking in consideration in detail. I got the distinct impression most of them had been written for them by other people. However, with credit to the member for Central Wheatbelt, he was genuinely interested in local participation plans. I reckon the seed is there—the seed of a parliamentary friends of local content group, because he and I share a real interest in making sure that we get the best dividend for the people of Western Australia out of our major industries.
I want to talk about two criticisms made by the member for Roe because, frankly, they struck me as bizarre. They were not in the spirit of bipartisanship that I think he could have offered up in his contribution. First, he said that he was concerned that with the exit of Darren West from the Legislative Council, there would not be someone on the Labor side to talk about agriculture and farming. He said there would be nobody with the background and knowledge to contribute to those debates. I think that criticism is misguided, because having experience or knowledge, or something, should not be a disqualification from being able to contribute in this place, because we are all here to participate and represent our communities. But also the shadow Treasurer in this place has already got a great tradition of talking about things that she knows nothing about. I have already made the point that the shadow Treasurer is somehow supposed to be the alternative manager of the budget of Western Australia, yet her grasp of economics is shoddy, to say the least. We now have proof, as the Deputy Premier pointed out in question time. Members do not have to take my word for it when I say that the member for Cottesloe answers questions that she does not know the answer to. The member for Cottesloe identified it herself in a WhatsApp chat that she had no idea about a question when it came to Queensland's position on the share of the GST.
The Attorney General is in the chamber. One of the first things I was taught when I was a junior lawyer was that if we do not know the answer to a question, we should not have a go; rather, just front up and say we do not know the answer to the question but do not worry, we will look into it and get back to them. Do not take a stab in the dark. That is not so for the member for Cottesloe. She thinks to herself, "I don't know anything about this. I'll just have a go anyway." That is the person who would be in charge of the state's finances if the Liberals and Nationals were elected to government. I ask the member for Roe, when he is criticising people, whether he remembers the saying about people who live in glass houses. He should be careful to talk about the things he knows about. The opposition criticises people all the time. The shadow Treasurer has identified to a journalist in a WhatsApp group that she does not have any problem talking about things that she does not know about.
The second criticism that was made by the member for Roe was that the Labor Party did not have a history of supporting the agricultural regions. I thought that was pretty extraordinary in the context of CBH. Let us talk about the record of the Liberals and the Nationals on supporting CBH. One of the major pieces of infrastructure that contributes to CBH's business is the rail freight network. It is critical to moving grain around the Great Southern and the Wheatbelt, and it is critical to making sure that we keep as many trucks off the road as possible. Members of the National Party come in here all the time complaining about the state of roads in the regions, yet they were part of a government that did two things. They were part of the Liberal–National government in the 1990s that privatised the rail freight network. That is its legacy. It was described by the Treasurer in this place as one of the worst deals ever done in Western Australia's history. The terms of the contract are apparently atrocious. They would probably make the lawyers on the other side blush with how good they got it. That is their legacy—to have privatised the rail freight network in the first place.
What did the Liberal–National government do when it was next in government? In 2014, the Liberals and Nationals presided over the closure of tier 3 rail. More than 500 kilometres of tier 3 rail was closed on their watch and they did nothing about it whatsoever. I assume they just walked out of those shadow cabinet meetings because, apparently, that was the privilege allowed to them. If they did not like it, they did not do anything about it; they just walked out, stuck their heads in the sand and said, "Oh, you know, nothing to do with us." I say to the member for Roe that when we are talking about cooperatives and the history of agrarian socialism in this state, there is an opportunity for us to find common ground. I encourage the member for Roe to come to the party on these issues. Stop throwing stones in glass houses. The Liberals and Nationals should reflect on their incredibly poor legacy in government by supporting the grain industry in Western Australia and coming up with a plan. It should back us in. I would love to see the member of Roe come in here and congratulate the Treasurer on being part of a Labor government that is the first to commit to negotiating to bring our rail freight network back in-house. That would be a great spirit of bipartisanship. I offer that olive branch to the member for Roe, and I look forward to him taking it up.
Mr Hugh Jones (Darling Range) (3:18 pm): I also rise to speak on the Associations and Co-operatives Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. Like the member for Cockburn, I had an opportunity to speak about the bill in the last Parliament. I commended the bill then and I commend it now.
I want to take this opportunity to make a very brief but important contribution. I want to speak about a special constituent who sadly passed away on 19 May 2025. Lorraine Bowtell was a quintessential community volunteer. She lived her life full of compassion for others, supporting many groups and individuals within our community. She was a formative part of a great many local associations in Darling Range, including the Jarrahdale Heritage Society, which staunchly protects the history of this state's first major timber milling town. Lorraine was a great help with the Jarrahdale Heritage Society's famous ghost walks and was sure to be on deck with any fundraising events. She was a driving force behind the Mosaic Matters–Art and Society Group at the Mundijong Heritage Community Garden and church. One of the group's most recent triumphs was creating and installing a mosaic commemorative bench seat at the Mundijong War Memorial as a tribute to all those who have served our country. Led by Lorraine Bowtell, a team of five talented women also recently collaborated to create an entire path made of tiled art at the heritage garden, a stunning piece that must be seen to be believed.
Last year Lorraine was rightly honoured as the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale's community citizen of the year. On receiving that award, the precis said:
Lorraine is the epitome of a top notch neighbour. She often drives local seniors to appointments, carries out health checks across the neighbourhood and prepares meals for those in need. Lorraine also assists Landcare SJ and the volunteers from the National Trust to rehabilitate the native species along Gooralong Brook in Jarrahdale. On Saturdays you will find her at the finish line of the Jarrahdale park run, scanning the time checkers and offering support.
Lorraine was always ready with a big smile and a hug for anyone who needed it, and she will be greatly missed by many, many people, not only in Serpentine–Jarrahdale but also in Goodna and Redbank in the city of Ipswich, where she hails from. I want to thank Lorraine and pay my respects to Tony and the entire Bowtell family during this difficult time. Thank you.
Ms Sook Yee Lai (Bibra Lake) (3:20 pm): It is with great pleasure that I rise today to speak in contribution to the second reading debate on the Associations and Co-operatives Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, a bill that represents not just legislative reform but also genuine recognition and respect for the heartbeat of our communities, our local associations and cooperatives. In every corner of Western Australia, and certainly across my electorate of Bibra Lake, these groups are the quiet achievers. They are not fuelled by ambition or personal gain; they are formed and sustained by people with a shared purpose, people who see a need in their community and rise to meet it. These associations are powered by people who give their time, their skills and often their own money. But I will highlight the most valuable commodity that they contribute, and that is time. Most of the volunteers to these associations and cooperatives have their own personal commitments, such as work and families. I remember just over the weekend talking to Matt and Narri Slater from Bibra Lakes Junior Football Club about balancing work, staying on top of house chores and volunteering time at the football club. I admire their dedication to the football club as a family unit giving up their time and efforts. Bibra Lakes Junior Football Club, established in 1993, continues to go from strength to strength because of members like Matt and Narri Slater.
The work of volunteers in these associations can be onerous and the administration can be complex and burdensome. That is why this bill is so important. It recognises that those doing the most for our community should not be hamstrung by outdated or unnecessarily complicated legislation. Before I continue with my petition in support of this legislation, please allow me to indulge and give just a glimpse into what it looks like on the ground in my electorate of Bibra Lake. I want to take a moment to talk about a place that has become something of an icon in the local area of Bibra Lake, the Spanish Club WA.
Mr David Scaife: Great paella!
Ms Sook Yee Lai: Yes!
If you have ever driven down Farrington Road towards Bibra Lake, you have probably seen the building. It has been there since 1987. What you might not know is that the club itself was established way back in 1971, built by the Spanish community in Bibra Lake and from the wider WA state. For decades now it has been a hub for sharing and celebrating Spanish and Hispanic cultures. It runs festivals, sport events, dance lessons—flamenco, to be more specific—music lessons, language classes; you name it. It is a place where locals and people from all over can come together, connect and just enjoy the richness of the culture. I have had the privilege of getting to know the club and some of its members. I want to give a shout-out to Tony Carvala, Maria Arenas and José Galindo. I can honestly say it is one of those places that really embodies the spirit of community.
That is why it felt so right that the Bibra Lake Residents Association chose the Spanish Club as the venue for a National Volunteer Week event. Last weekend I attended the Bibra Lake Residents Association's National Volunteer Event Week event organised by the chair, Bradley Zarins. Bradley and his team worked tirelessly to ensure residents feel valued, supported and connected. The event brought together groups and associations from Bibra Lake such as the Wetlands Centre, WA Wildlife, Bibra Lake Primary School P&C, Bibra Lake Scout Group, Coolbellup Community Church, River Lake Junior Football Club and the dedicated Walliabup Wildlife Warriors. The event was held with funding from the Cook Labor government through Lotterywest, supporting 233 volunteer involving organisations across the state to host a National Volunteer Week event. I am grateful to the Bibra Lake Residents Association for applying to host the event, and I congratulate its efforts on a wonderful and wholesome afternoon recognising and appreciating local volunteers from their various associations.
At the volunteers event, I spoke to Tina Adam, the chair of the Bibra Lake Primary School P&C. Tina is someone who has continued to serve her community long after her children left the school, and now as a grandparent, mentoring new generations of parents in the P&C. On weekends, Tina and her husband, John, volunteer to help out at the local junior footy club. This family is a reminder that the impact of volunteering ripples far and wide from one generation to the next. I must also make a special mention of Joyce Gadalon and the Walliabup Wildlife Warriors. If you have ever walked around Bibra Lake Reserve, chances are you have seen Joyce or one of the turtle trackers working to protect the snake-neck turtle, a species unique and vulnerable. These volunteers monitor nesting sites, advocate for road safety near habitats and raise their own funds to keep this precious wildlife safe. Their devotion is inspiring. But they are also the very people who sometimes are overwhelmed by red tape or unsure about compliance requirements. This legislation makes critical amendments to the Associations and Corporate and Corporation Act 2015 and the Cooperatives Act 2009, bringing both up to date with the realities and the expectations of modern community life. It will make the laws that govern our association simpler, clearer and more workable so these dedicated individuals can get on with the good work they do with fewer obstacles in their path.
One of the most welcome changes in this bill is the provision to allow electronic meetings and voting. This might sound like a small technical shift, but I can tell you it is huge for our community groups. During COVID we saw just how critical online platforms like Zoom and Teams became for staying connected. But even beyond the pandemic, digital access is now a necessity, especially for busy families, shift workers, elderly members and people with disabilities who might struggle to attend meetings in person. The ability to connect remotely reduces pressures to find venues, navigate transport or any barriers that have previously excluded people from participating in meetings. This amendment enables our organisations to be more representative and better connected to the communities they serve.
The bill will also introduce safeguards to restrict access to members' personal information, especially in cases where disclosures may pose safety risk. This is incredibly important. Volunteers should not be placed in positions where their personal safety or privacy is compromised simply because they have stepped up to help the community. I know that there are associations in my electorate who may be managing activism or advocacy work in an emotionally charged context. Ensuring their personal details are protected gives peace of mind and encourages participation, particularly from vulnerable individuals who may otherwise be reluctant to be involved.
Another key change is the ability for associations to adopt rules that go beyond, but are not inconsistent with, the act, giving them the flexibility to tailor governance structures that meet their unique needs. Too often, well-meaning volunteers get caught in a tangle of outdated templates, unclear procedures and compliance hurdles, but allowing organisations to shape their own rules, provided they meet the baseline legal standards, acknowledges the diversity of our associations and empowers them to self-govern in a way that is culturally, structurally and operationally appropriate.
The bill will also simplify financial reporting by allowing associations to appoint auditors for a fixed term instead of an open-ended arrangement that can be confusing or difficult to manage. Should an association face hardship, this bill will introduce small business–style restructuring options, giving associations viable alternatives to winding up or entering full administration. This is a compassionate and practical reform. Sometimes associations fall into temporary financial hardship, not because of mismanagement but due to one-off funding gaps, loss of venue access or changes in volunteer availability. Rather than pushing them into an expensive and often irreversible process of dissolution, these amendments will give organisations the breathing space to recover and continue their work.
Another powerful reform in this bill is expanded access to the State Administrative Tribunal for members who believe they have been unfairly expelled from an association. This is about fairness and due process. It ensures that our associations remain accountable. It also sends the message that associations, although community driven, still operate within a framework of rights and respect. It builds trust within our organisations and gives members confidence to participate fully, knowing that if something goes wrong, there is a clear and just path forward.
Finally, the bill clarifies that documents can be signed electronically and that proxy voting is permitted. Again, this is a simple change with enormous practical benefits. For busy working people, those living with disability or anyone unable to attend meetings in person, this reform makes it easier for them to stay engaged, still have their say and remain involved. It reflects the way modern life works and aligns our laws with the digital tools we already use every day.
The organisations mentioned today are just a snapshot of the wonderful community Bibra Lake is to live in. This bill is about more than legal updates. It is about modernising community life. It reflects the way we work, the way we communicate and the way we care for one another in today's world. Let us pass this legislation, not just to update the law, but to reaffirm our commitment to support those who give so much of themselves for the benefit of others.
I commend this bill to the house.
Mrs Lisa Munday (Dawesville) (3:29 pm): I rise today in support of the Associations and Co-operatives Legislation Amendment Bill 2025—a bill that may not be front-page news but will undoubtedly make a difference to the day-to-day operations of thousands of grassroots organisations in WA. The changes in this bill are not abstract; they go to the heart of what helps local associations function better: flexibility, fairness and future readiness. With more than 20,000 associations registered in WA, these improvements will resonate deeply across our communities, including in my electorate. For example, the Falcon Lions Club calls itself the "Island Club", which reminds me that I actually do live on an island in Falcon. We are surrounded by ocean and estuary and two bridges, but it is not the island that I would sometimes like to be on!
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson interjected.
Mrs Lisa Munday: Yes, but it is still great. It is just not that idea of an island.
This longstanding organisation is one of the quiet achievers of our community, helping at events and raising funds for those doing it tough. It always steps up when needed. One of my election commitments is to help support its efforts to purchase a purpose-built barbecue trailer. I have seen its old one and it is a little on the tired side, so it really does need a bit of a zhoosh up—I will see how Hansard spells "zhoosh up"—and a bit of a work on it. This is definitely one community group that punches above its weight. With better equipment, it can fundraise more safely, efficiently and widely and then, in turn, reinvest its support back into local families, schools and charities. For me, personally, Falcon Lions Club fits squarely with my values, having worked in service roles for much of my life and also in my childhood. My dad and mum were really big in Apex and Rotary and were both Paul Harris Fellow Award winners. Dad was also a district governor, so Apex and Rotary pretty much ruled my entire life, and the idea of giving and being a volunteer in those organisations was part of it. I did not know whether, at six years old, you could be an active member of Rotary, but I certainly was. I remember handing out the Yellow Pages. I am not sure whether everyone here knows what the Yellow Pages are; I might be giving away my age!
Mr Terry Healy: It's the internet printed out.
Mrs Lisa Munday: That is right!
I look forward to joining the Lions club next month at the changeover meeting.
Another example of a great association is the Port Bouvard Surf Lifesaving Club. I am very proud to be the patron of this club. It has a major fundraiser each year called the Cut 2 Club when the Dawesville Channel is opened for a swim. I have done this for the last four years. I swim 2.5 kilometres. There are also 3.25-kay and five-kay swims. I have put it in my changeover contract for the next member for Dawesville, whoever that may be—they have to swim the Dawesville Cut 2 Club! I am absolutely terrified of sharks, but I figure, with 200 people in the water, I have a good chance of not getting eaten, which is the only reason I get in! This year, I took the Premier with me. I promised him a personal best, because the best thing about the Dawesville Cut 2 Club is that the tide is going your way. People run beside the walkway trying to keep up with the swimmers. People could put themselves in one of those rubber things and head down. I have had a personal best every year, so I am getting better and better as the years go on. The Premier absolutely killed me. He did 2.5 kilometres in 34 minutes and I did it in 39 or 40 minutes. He absolutely shone that day.
More than keeping us safe while we swim the Cut, the volunteers patrol our beaches. The club is a genuine community hub, hosting events, training young people and drawing locals together. The current kitchen facilities have held it back, so I will be able to help it with a commercial kitchen upgrade, which will allow it to host everything bigger and better. It does weddings and events but has to cater and bring in the food. It will be fantastic for the club to increase its revenue stream to sustain its lifesaving services. From a policy perspective, this example reflects the importance of investing in infrastructure that delivers on both social and economic returns.
There is also the Coastal Waste Warriors group. I will quickly mention this group before my five minutes is up. This group is very close to my heart. I am one of the volunteers for the Coastal Waste Warriors. We get out on a monthly basis—I have not been there for the last few months, but I am sure I will be back. I am not sure how many volunteers are on the books, but probably 45 or 50 of us turn up on a Sunday once a month. We have picked up 5, 860 kilograms of rubbish from along our coastline, which is really good but really sad. The reason I know that is that we do data sheets as we collect. We count every cigarette butt, plastic drink container, fast-food container, dirty baby nappy, car tyre, basketball hoop, trampoline and mattress—it is amazing what you find. It is uploaded to the Tangaroa Blue Foundation's Australian Marine Debris Initiative, and this assists the organisation to do campaigns like Luca's Legacy, World Oceans Day and the Suzuki Marine Australia Clean Ocean Project. Also, Dudley Dolphin is out and about. There is nothing better than a great big hug from Dudley Dolphin to make the day a little bit better.
At these community events I have mentioned, we will find the usual suspects of volunteers from the service groups we have talked about. There are others like Western Australian Seabird Rescue, Cycling Without Age Perth and so on. A United Kingdom study has found that people who volunteer regularly are more likely to have lower blood pressure and stronger social networks and, apparently, are 15% more likely to describe themselves as very good dancers! I can vouch to everyone that after all my years of volunteering, I have not had an improvement in my dancing skills, so it cannot happily be the case for everyone, because it has certainly not happened in my life!
There is a deeper purpose to this bill. It is not just about modernising governance; it is about giving our associations the freedom and flexibility to keep doing what they do best—building belonging, offering purpose and creating places where people feel valued and connected.
I would also like to say that I commend the minister and the department for the care taken in crafting this legislation. It reflects both consultation and vision. It respects the time, energy and commitment of the thousands of Western Australians who keep our community associations running.
As I commend the bill to the house, I would like to give a quote from Zig Ziglar: "When you help someone else climb a hill, you get that much closer to the top yourself."
Dr Tony Buti (Armadale—Minister for Commerce) (3:39 pm): I thank all members who have contributed to the debate on the second reading of the Associations and Co-operatives Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. I will quickly go through some of the contributions, then, hopefully, we can move on.
I will summarise what this bill seeks to do. It is to bring the associations and cooperatives instruments into the modern age to make things easier. It will allow an association to reserve a name when it commences the incorporation process, or when it wishes to change its name for a period of up to three months; allow electronic attendance and voting at meetings as its default position, with associations able to opt out of allowing electronic meetings and voting within their rules; allow for the restriction of access to personal information contained in a member register in certain prescribed circumstances; allow for the appointment of an auditor for a fixed period of time not exceeding five years; and provide the Commissioner for Consumer Protection with the power to cancel the incorporation of an association if it is in the public interest and without waiting for 12 months if an association is no longer in operation. It addresses a range of administrative issues for cooperatives and includes other minor consequential amendments to the Co-operatives Act to update references to sections of the federal Corporations Act 2001 piece of Commonwealth legislation that had changed since 2015.
I will quickly go through the contributions from members. The member for Albany, who is the opposition's lead spokesperson on commerce, made a contribution supporting the bill, which I appreciate, and confirm that Co-operatives WA supported the bill. He summarised various aspects of the bill. I dearly miss the former member for Albany and I wish she was back in this house, but having listened to the member for Albany now, I do not understand how the Liberal Party decided to select that ghastly doctor in Albany as its candidate. The member for Albany was the Liberal candidate in the previous election and, thankfully for us, he did not succeed, because Rebecca Stephens was successful and I dearly wish that she had been successful again. But I must say, I much prefer to have the current member for Albany than the Liberal alternative. It shows us how The Clan is in not just the metro area, but also spans into the country. So, I thank the member for Albany for his contribution and I shake my head to think that the good doctor from down in Albany was a Liberal candidate. I do not understand how the Liberal Party did not select the member for Albany.
Anyway, moving on. The member for Nedlands supported the bill and talked about how it goes with his push for deregulation. He asked a question about the need to ensure that we have some plain language templates for transitional purposes. He suggested a pamphlet. I can let the member know that the department will be providing information to explain the changes and to allow the sector to transition. I have to say, the department of commerce has been outstanding in the preparation of this bill and I have great confidence that it will prepare the sector for the changes that are taking place.
Then we had the contribution from the member for Roe. The member for Cockburn is not here now, but I was going to repeat some of his contribution. We were going really well. It was bipartisan—I mean, the member for Roe was bipartisan in that he still supported the bill before the house. He did deviate and talk about many other things, but he talked about associations and cooperatives in his area, and how many of them are from the regions. He talked about how some of the cooperatives are very large in the regions. He talked about the CBH Group and how it has been such an important cooperative organisation in the regions—and it is. As the member for Cockburn rightly pointed out, CBH stood with the Minister for Transport, the Deputy Premier and the Treasurer when we announced that we wanted to bring Arc Infrastructure back into government hands. Yes, the member for Roe championed how great CBH is and I am sure he is championing the fact that they are supporting that move, because we know the history in respect to that, as the member for Cockburn did mention it. We do not need to go any further than Max Trenorden, the former member for Avon in this place, and Philip Gardiner, a former member of the upper house, both proud National Party members who wrote an opinion piece in the Countryman. It described the privatisation of the rail network as gross commercial incompetence of financial ineptitude. I want to go to that opinion piece by them, which is from 3 April. It states:
As former MPs, we welcome the decision by the WA Labor to reopen discussions on the future of the grain freight network, owned by Canadian conglomerate Brookfield through its subsidiary Arc Infrastructure.
The history surrounding Liberal and National governments' (the Court and Barnett-Grylls Liberal-National coalition) sale of Westrail, the State's regional passenger and freight network could only be described as gross commercial incompetence, financial ineptitude and, regrettably, personal, petty point scoring.
To add to this, certain shire representatives on WA Local Government Association at the time—
Including Liberal MLC Steve Martin—
all failed to protect the interests of the people of WA in terms of road safety, productivity gains and extracting value from a State asset.
…
The Barnett government accepted the flawed 2009 Strategic Grain Network Report which favoured investment in road infrastructure over rail on the flimsiest of evidence.
A number of the parties involved with the writing of the report failed to sign off on it, yet the Barnett-Grylls government relied on that report to justify its actions with regard to rail and their negotiations with the leasehold owners.
They were complicit in allowing the leaseholder escape the lease provisions as outlined in the concealed agreement of returning the lines to the WA Government after 49 years, in the same condition as they found those lines when the lease was first agreed in 2000.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
Dr Tony Buti: I did not interrupt any member, Mr Acting Speaker. I seek your protection.
The Acting Speaker: Order, members. The minister is not taking interjections.
Dr Tony Buti: The article goes on to state:
In 2011-12, after the government abandoned the Tier3 rail network, then WA treasurer Troy Buswell proposed an investment of $180m for roads encompassing the Tier 3 network area.
This was assessed by road engineers of the day to likely be totally inadequate, and even this proposal overlooked a narrow bridge between Quairading and Cunderdin conservatively estimated to cost $14m to take heavy road transport.
Again, there was no oversight into ensuring $400m was spent.
But it was going to get worse.
The Court-Grylls government amended the terms of the lease in terms of "uneconomic" and "fit for purpose".
This may provide wriggle room for Arc Infrastructure.
The Cook Labor Government's application of Schedule 15 may overcome this problem.
So, yes, the member for Roe mentioned CBH. He totally agreed with it being a very important institution in the regions. It is very supportive of this government's intention to try to overcome the absolute economic vandalism that was instigated by the Court, and more importantly, Barnett–Grylls governments. We are doing our best to try to overcome that.
We then move on to the member for Collie–Preston. I am an old Collie boy, born in Collie, as my mother was. Interestingly, the member grew up in Yarloop, which is where my mother grew up, so we have many connections together. She talked about the importance of community groups in her area and how she has assisted with various state and federal grants. She mentioned her commitments to the Boyanup Primary School, the Burekup Cricket Club and other organisations. She also mentioned the Collie Police and Community Youth Centre gymnastics program. I remember living in Collie and how important the PCYC was—another organisation that the Barnett government drove into the ground.
Mr Lachlan Hunter: That's not true.
Dr Tony Buti: They privatised it. They actually removed the police from it. That was the magic about the PCYC. People who grew up in the country particularly realise the importance of PCYCs in the country and the importance of the police being part of it.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: That's right. It's the "P".
Dr Tony Buti: That was the whole point. Yes, that is right. It was so important and the Barnett government removed that. Under the first term of the McGowan government and leadership of the Minister for Police, Michelle Roberts, we reinvested considerable sums back into PCYC. They do a great job throughout metro and regional Western Australia.
Then the member for Mindarie made his contribution, which was very colourful. I never knew he had an addiction to chocolate, but I am sure there are many other people who do also. He also mentioned that the privacy provisions and the ability to reserve a name at the commencement of the registration process are very important and discussed the challenges that many smaller clubs face.
Following the member for Mindarie, the member for Mount Lawley made a very articulate contribution. He talked about his long history—I think 31-year history—in working across the landscape of associations and cooperatives in Australia, mainly through his involvement with multicultural associations. He also supported the bill before the house. He praised the organisations in his electorate that do outstanding work in this area. Then we had the member for Jandakot, who highlighted the contribution of volunteers in his community. He also highlighted the Leeming sporting club and local election commitments. The member for Jandakot actually comes from a family who very well recognises local contributions in sporting clubs. His father is the unofficial historian of the North Fremantle Football Club. He has written two books. I suggest that members go to a good bookstore and hope they can find a copy of those history books of the North Fremantle Football Club, which has had some outstanding people playing for them.
The member for Swan Hills then made her contribution. She also talked about her involvement in incorporated associations through her profession as an accountant. She is now still heavily involved as P&C president of one of her local schools. She mentioned how good it is that we now will allow meetings to be taken online, which is really important in the modern world. She spoke about the privacy provisions and praised the auditor arrangements and new provisions for winding up an association. She also talked about many of the organisations in her electorate. She spoke about the vollies—the volunteer bush fire brigades—in Bullsbrook and West and East Gidgegannup. She also did mention the bakery in Gidgegannup, which is outstanding, as is the bakery in Dardanup. Kirup bakery I have not been to, but I will have to give it a go.
Mr Hugh Jones: What about Byford bakery?
Dr Tony Buti: Byford bakery, yes. I will talk about that one. I am a bit of an expert in country bakeries, so we can talk a bit more about that later. The member for Roe asked a question about the distribution of money when an organisation is wound up. He asked what would happen. Any property would be distributed to another not-for-profit with similar purposes. That is what happens in charitable organisations and under common law. There are two options; it goes to a common purpose or it goes to a particular purpose that is of benefit to the public. It will be distributed to an organisation with similar purposes.
Then I move to the member for Mandurah, who would obviously have great expertise and experience working with volunteers and associations because he was the Mayor of the City of Mandurah. He praised the passion of volunteers and he also praised cooperative models for revitalising small towns. He talked about Kulin; I think the member for Central Wheatbelt would know about that town and how important small organisations are in that respect.
Then we had a lawyer-ly contribution from the member for Butler. She talked about how co-operatives provide a unique legal model, which is very well utilised in the United Kingdom. She listed a number of incorporated associations in her area that do great work, such as particular shops, the Salvation Army, Vinnies, Good Sammies, and Save the Children.
Then the member for Maylands made a contribution. He mentioned the Ellis House Community Arts Centre. It is in a fantastic spot and they do great work. He listed a number of local election commitments and the Bayswater Bears football club. He is blessed in his electorate. There are many active organisations, which will hopefully benefit from the bill before the house.
Then we had the member for Darling Range. Being the next-door neighbour to the member for Darling Range, I can attest to the number of volunteers and volunteer organisations in his electorate as well as the various bushfire brigade services. The thing about the member for Darling Range is, if it is a local organisation, he knows about it and he connects with it. I am sure the member will be able to go out there and espouse the virtues of this bill and I am sure many of them will benefit from them. Now, the Byford bakery—which one are we talking about, member?
Mr Hugh Jones: Just around the corner from my office.
Dr Tony Buti: Oh yes, that is right! The one around the corner from his office has an outlet in Kelmscott. For many years, it won the Australian prize for the best pies. Yes, I forgot; that is terrible of me. I have had many of those pies.
Thank you very much for your contribution, member for Darling Range. Then the member for Bibra Lake talked about the various community organisations in her electorate and various election commitments she made. She talked about the fact that electronic meetings—the ability to have digital access—is a necessity in the modern environment that we live in. I think that is very true. She also talked about the Spanish club. I remember when I used to work at Murdoch University, I often went past the Spanish club. It is an institution in that area.
I forgot quite a few members. I forgot the member for Rockingham. She talked about the great community groups in her electorate. She took over her seat from the former Premier in the seat of Rockingham. There are many outstanding community groups in her electorate.
The member for Cockburn made an important contribution. He mentioned many of the issues that the member for Roe raised, which I have already addressed. Then we rounded off the debate through the contribution of the member for Dawesville. She talked about her long family history in Rotary and Apex. Then, being a paramedic, she went on to mention health and how there is allegedly a correlation between good health and volunteering. I think that makes a lot of sense, member. She was not buying the connection between being a good dancer and volunteering. I am not so sure. I think there could be. I am sure she might be a candidate for Dancing with the Stars. We will see how we go there but thank you for that.
Mr Basil Zempilas: Channel Seven!
Dr Tony Buti: That is exactly right. We may have a compere here. I thank all members for their contributions to the Associations and Co-operatives Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 second reading debate.
(Quorum formed.)
The Acting Speaker (Mr Stephen Pratt): Members, a quorum is present.
Question put and passed.
Bill read a second time.
Leave granted to proceed forthwith to third reading.
Third reading
Bill read a third time, on motion by Dr Tony Buti (Minister for Commerce), and transmitted to the Council.
