Incorporation Number: IA00930
Previous Registration: Document 3863590 (24 July 2019)
Latest Amendments Approved: Members at General Meeting – December 2025
Approval Date: 13 December 2025
Document Reference: Constitution for AGM Approval 2025

At a General Meeting of Members held in December 2025, Parkinson’s Queensland Inc. approved amendments to its Constitution to further strengthen governance, improve leadership continuity and ensure alignment with the Associations Incorporation Act and best-practice not-for-profit governance standards.

These amendments build upon earlier reforms approved in June 2019 and formally registered in July 2019, ensuring the organisation remains sustainable, effective, and responsive to the growing needs of Queenslanders impacted by Parkinson’s disease.

Key Governance Improvements – Management Committee (Rule 16)

The updated Constitution confirms and strengthens the structure and operation of the Management Committee:

Rule 16.1 – Committee Composition
The Management Committee consists of a President, Vice-President and Treasurer, together with a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of six (6) additional members. This provides flexibility to expand leadership capacity while supporting shared workload, diversity of expertise and succession planning.

Rule 16.2 – Term Length
Committee members serve three-year terms and are eligible for re-election. This longer term supports strategic planning, organisational stability and continuity of leadership across multi-year projects.

Rules 16.3 and 16.4 – Term Limits and Extensions
Members may serve up to three consecutive terms before a mandatory twelve-month break, unless members pass a resolution permitting an additional term. This balances leadership renewal with retention of corporate knowledge and experience.

Rule 16.5 – Staggered Retirement Process
At each Annual General Meeting, at least two (2) but not more than one-third of Committee members must retire. This staged rotation ensures continuity of governance while meeting legislative requirements and supporting orderly succession planning.

Membership Category Refinements (Rule 5)

The Constitution continues to rationalise and modernise membership categories to better reflect current service delivery models and community engagement:

Associate Membership (Rule 5(f))
A non-voting Associate Membership category enables broader participation by people living with Parkinson’s disease, carers, advocates, and community participants who engage with Parkinson’s Queensland programs and support groups but may not wish to hold voting membership. Associate Members are covered by organisational insurance while participating in authorised activities and events and help strengthen statewide community engagement.

Governance Outcomes

These amendments collectively support:

• Improved leadership continuity and organisational stability
• Stronger succession planning and risk management
• Reduced disruption from annual election turnover
• Enhanced engagement with people living with Parkinson’s across Queensland
• Sustainable long-term project delivery and service development

Organisational Context

As Parkinson’s Queensland approaches its 35th year of service delivery, the organisation supports tens of thousands of Queenslanders living with Parkinson’s disease and related neurological conditions. These governance reforms ensure the organisation is structurally positioned to deliver high-quality programs, advocacy, education and community support while maintaining compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements.

Moving away from short-term governance cycles and implementing staggered leadership transitions allows Parkinson’s Queensland to maintain momentum on major projects, retain institutional knowledge and better serve the Parkinson’s community statewide.