Governance
Conflicts of Interest Registers for Australian Clubs: Setup and Maintenance
Conflicts of interest are normal in member clubs — suppliers who are members, family connections on the board, land deals near the course. What is not normal is pretending conflicts do not exist. A maintained register is how clubs show they take member protection seriously.
What counts as a conflict in a member club context
A conflict exists where a director's personal interest could influence — or appear to influence — a board decision. Financial interests, family relationships, and dual roles in affiliated bodies are common examples.
Conflicts are not misconduct by default. Undisclosed conflicts are a governance problem.
Annual declarations vs standing disclosures
Most clubs require annual COI declarations from all directors at appointment or year start. Standing disclosures cover ongoing situations — "I am a director of the irrigation supplier" — that persist until they change.
Both belong in the register with dates and review history.
Meeting-by-meeting disclosure practice
At each board meeting, chairs should invite declarations relating to agenda items. "Is there any new conflict to declare?" is a habit, not a checkbox.
Minute the declaration and the board's decision: participated, abstained, or left the room for discussion and vote.
Register fields: nature, mitigation, abstention records
Record who, what, when, how managed. Mitigation might be abstention, independent quotes, or board approval with conditions. Future boards need to see the trail.
Linking COI status to board pack readiness
Incomplete COI registers at pack time are a red flag. ClubCensus compliance scoring surfaces COI gaps before distribution so the chair and secretary can act.
Related: COI, WWCC, and AGM deadline tracking
AGM and election-season COI hygiene
Incoming directors should complete declarations before their first meeting. AGM season is the right time to reset the register — not the night before legal review.
Record retention and handover to incoming boards
COI registers are long-lived records. Hand them over formally with minutes and office-bearer lists. Destroying or losing COI history creates unnecessary risk for future boards.
FAQ
- Do social friendships create conflicts?
- Friendships alone may not — but close relationships combined with financial benefit can. When in doubt, declare and let the chair guide process. Over-declaring is safer than under-declaring.
- Can ClubCensus store COI records?
- Yes — COI status feeds compliance scoring and board pack readiness. Pair with your club's document library for signed declaration forms.
