The College Constitution provides the foundation for College governance and ensures that ACRRM operates within its legal and statutory obligations.
The College Constitution was first published in 1997 and revised in 2014 in accordance with ACRRM’s growth and evolving roles and responsibilities.
The revised Constitution details the division of responsibilities between the College’s two peak governance bodies, the Board which is a skills-based body providing company director functions, and the College Council, which is elected by members and provides representation, policy direction, and elects the directors of the Board.
A key goal of the Constitution has been to enable the College to continue to provide strong member representation while maintaining its extensive responsibilities for ongoing administrative compliance and probity.
Corporations Act 2001, A Public Company Limited by Guarantee, Constitution, Adopted by the Members on 1 November 2014
DownloadACRRM Constitution Review 2024/2025
Over the past 25 years, and particularly since the transition to ACRRM-led training, our College has grown and evolved. It is now time for the governance framework to reflect this journey and position us for future success as leaders in rural, remote and First Nations healthcare.
Ten years on from the last review in 2014, the College is undertaking a thorough review to ensure that ACRRM remains relevant, sustainable, and equipped to support our members and staff.
The review has been overseen by the Constitution Review Working Group, made up of ACRRM Board and Council members, and supported by the College’s legal advisors, Russell Kennedy.
Message From the President
The landscape in which ACRRM operates has evolved significantly since our Constitution was last reviewed over a decade ago. As we navigate a rapidly changing professional environment, it is essential our governing framework remains relevant, agile and reflective of members’ needs and aspirations.
The Constitution provides a foundation for how ACRRM operates. It empowers the Board to make decisions that guide the College’s operations and policies, all for the benefit of members. However, as new challenges and opportunities emerge, it has become evident that our current Constitution may no longer fully address the requirements of today. Many peer Medical Colleges have already, or are in the process of, initiating similar updates to their governing documents.
Changes include, meeting contemporary governance standards, and ensuring the College has a framework that supports agility in its operations. The updated Constitution also incorporates clauses to optimise the College’s ability to apply for taxation concessions which benefit staff and support the College to attract diverse sources of income.
This Constitution review commenced with the establishment of a Constitution Review Working Party in September 2023. The group was charged with identifying key areas in the Constitution that require for discussion and decision making by the ACRRM Board.
Supported by the College’s legal advisors Russell Kennedy, the Board is pleased to present the results of a year-long effort to align the Constitution with contemporary standards.
The Board is committed to engaging members throughout the review process, offering multiple opportunities for feedback and discussion. Your insights are invaluable in crafting a Constitution that upholds the integrity of our College while empowering us to meet the future with confidence and clarity.
Dr Rod Martin
ACRRM President and Board Chair
December 2024
Proposed Changes
Please download the explanatory memorandum which outlines the specific amendments proposed by the Board along with the reasoning behind each intended change.
Information on each proposed change includes:
- Clause: This is the clause we are referring to
- Context: Information to convey the sense of the clause
- Board recommendation: The proposed change and the wording that will be in the revised Constitution
- Reason: An outline of why the Board believes the change will improve the Constitution.
The questionnaire asks members to rate how they feel about the proposed change (support, neutral, oppose, unsure) and provide specific feedback if desired. It concludes with an open question for additional comments. Respondents can also provide their name and contact details if they would like more information or a personalised response to any questions/concerns raised.
Consultation
The consultation period will open from Monday 9 December 2024 to Saturday 29 March 2025. We encourage all members to provide input on these proposed changes. Your feedback in invaluable in ensuring the ACRRM Constitution reflects the views and needs of our community.
To ensure transparency and encourage participation, there are several methods for members to provide feedback. They include:
- Questionnaire: The questionnaire allows for structured feedback on the specific proposed changes, access the questionnaire here
- Presentations at College Council and Other ACRRM Committees
- A series of presentations on the proposed changes will be delivered to the College Council, Community Reference Group, Registrar Committee, ATSI Members Group and Future Generalists Committee at meetings in February 2025. Meeting invitations will be issued directly to committee members.
Q&A webinars
A series of Q&A webinars will offer members to the opportunity to ask questions, seek clarification and raise concerns. Sessions will be recorded and made available to all members.
Register your interest for either session below:
Thursday 27 February 2025 at 6.30 pm (AEST)
Thursday 20 March 2025 at 6.30 pm (AEST)
Written feedback
Members are invited to submit feedback via email or traditional mail to:
Company Secretary Rachel Portelli at r.portelli@acrrm.org.au.
OR
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
Level 1/324 Queen Street
Brisbane, Queensland, 4000.
All feedback will be carefully reviewed and considered before a revised version of the Constitution is put to Members at a Special General Meeting on 30 May 2025.
Timeline
| Wednesday 11 December 2024 | Questionnaire and Written Feedback Open |
| Tuesday 4 February 2025 | Registrar Committee Presentation |
| Tuesday 11 February 2025 | College Council Presentation |
| Tuesday 25 February 2025 | Community Reference Group Presentation |
| Tuesday 25 February 2025 | Future Generalists Committee Presentation |
| Thursday 27 February 2025 | Q&A Forum - members |
| Thursday 20 March 2025 | Q&A Forum - members |
| Friday 28March 2025 | Closure Consultation Period |
| Friday 11 April 2025 | Board Reviews Feedback and Approves Final Constitution |
| Monday 12 May 2025 | Ballot Opens |
| Friday 23 May 2025 | Ballot Closes |
| Friday 30 May 2025 | Special General Meeting (Ballot Result Announced) |
| June – December 2025 | Changes Implemented Across ACRRM Operations |
Frequently Asked Questions
These Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) are designed to support members’ most common questions. They are continuously updated to provide an up-to-date and valuable resource. If you have any questions that are not covered, or require further information, please contact ACRRM Company Secretary Rachel Portelli at r.portelli@acrrm.org.au, or 1800 223 226.
The new Constitution is part of our effort to modernise and simplify the College’s governance structure. It reflects contemporary best practices and ensures compliance with updated regulations. Specific changes are referenced in the below FAQs.
General Members: The term "Ordinary Members" will be updated to "General Members," representing medical practitioners in rural and remote healthcare.
Organisational Members: This category will be removed as it is no longer in use.
Associate Fellows: A new voting class for members with specialised expertise.
Retired Fellows: Retired Fellows will become a sub-class under Affiliate Members and will not pay membership fees. Their existing rights, including voting, will not change.
Affiliate Members: While new Affiliate Members will not have voting rights, current Affiliate Members retain their existing rights.
A table of all member classes from the draft constitution is below.
| Class | Eligibility | Rights |
|---|---|---|
| Fellow Member | A medical practitioner who has been conferred the award of Fellow by the College in accordance with the By-laws. | Voting |
| Registrar Member | A medical practitioner who is enrolled in the College’s accredited training program for Fellowship. | Voting |
| General Member | A medical practitioner working primarily in general practice, primary care, academic practice or who has specialist registration, who supports the Purposes and works primarily in rural and remote medicine. | Voting |
| Life Fellow (voting) | A medical practitioner who has provided exceptional service to the profession and/or the discipline of rural and remote medicine, who has demonstrated significant contribution to the College and/or health and wellbeing of rural and remote communities (Closed class). | Voting (exempted from paying College membership fees) |
| Life Fellow Member (non-voting) (Formerly Honorary Fellow Member) | A non-medical practitioner who has demonstrated significant contribution to the College and/or the health and wellbeing of rural and remote communities | Non-voting (exempted from paying College membership fees) |
| Associate Fellow | A person who has been conferred the award of Associate Fellow having met the standards and requirements of a defined field of expertise or study, as prescribed by the College Board. | Voting |
| Associate Member | A medical practitioner who is working primarily in secondary or tertiary care at a prevocational stage of their career. | Non-voting |
| Affiliate Member | A company, association, institution or person who is not a medical practitioner who supports the Purposes of the College, including any of the following categories of Affiliate Member:Medical Students: A person enrolled in an Australian Medical School undergraduate or graduate course.Other Students: A person enrolled in an Australian accredited undergraduate or graduate course in health. Retired Fellow/Member: A Fellow or General Member who has ceased medical practice who may or may not retain their medical registration as a non-practising doctor. | Non-voting (grandfathering for existing Affiliate Members) (Retired Fellow/Members exempted from paying College membership fees) |
| Other | As determined by the College Board and set out in the College By-laws. | As set out in the College By-laws |
A new President-Elect model is being introduced for smoother succession planning. To accommodate a president elect, there will be one less College Council Appointed Director.
The Board will include:
- The President
- The President-Elect or Past President
- The Registrar
- Up to four College Council Appointed Directors
- Up to three Board Appointed Directors (appointed in accordance with the Board’s Skills Matrix) At least 50% of Directors must be Fellows of the College.
A President-Elect is elected by members for one year and transitions to the President role unless vetoed by the College Council.
After serving as President, the individual may serve as Past President if approved by the College Council.
If a President-Elect is in office, and a determination is made for the President-Elect not to transition to role of President, a President will be elected in accordance with the election procedures set out for the President-Elect.
The President will hold office for a two-year term.
This model ensures effective planning and leadership continuity.
Directors (excluding the President) will serve three-year terms, with a maximum of nine continuous years.
The Council will continue as an advisory body, not a committee of the Board.
The requirement for three representatives per state/territory has been removed for greater flexibility.
By-laws allow for administrative flexibility by outlining procedures (e.g., membership admissions, balloting, and committee operations). These can be amended without requiring a full constitutional change.
The updates better reflect the College’s focus on health promotion and disease prevention, supporting its potential eligibility for registration as a Health Promotion Charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). Being registered as a Health Promotion Charity affords the College greater opportunities to access additional benefits beyond those that other registered charities access, such as Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status and Fringe Benefit Tax Exemptions. Achieving DGR status would incentivise potential donors to support the College while at the same time knowing any donation would be tax deductible.
The proposed Constitution formally allows meetings (Board, College Council, and Members) to be held in-person, virtually, or in hybrid formats, aligning with modern practices. While there were some concessions made during the pandemic for organisations that did not have this provision in their Constitution, it is timely these provisions are formalised in our governing document.
In the event of a wind-up, surplus assets will be distributed to eligible recipients that align with the College’s objectives and comply with legal requirements. Any decision to distribute our assets at this time, will require member support.
Members are invited to participate in the consultation process running from Monday 9 December 2024 to Friday 28 March 2025. You can:
Submit questions or feedback via [insert feedback email or link].
- Attend a webinar
- Read updates in Country Watch and College Training Connections
- View resources on the ACRRM website