Taituarā has reached a significant milestone, successfully submitting its revised Constitution and completing re-registration under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022.
This achievement ensures that Taituarā continues to operate as a modern, compliant, and future-focused organisation, aligned with updated legislative requirements designed to strengthen governance, transparency, and accountability to members.
The revised Constitution reflects both the requirements of the Act and a series of deliberate improvements to support Taituarā’s future direction.
Key changes include:
- A modernised purpose, better reflecting who we are today, our values, and the role we play in supporting local government professionals across Aotearoa
- Registering Taituarā – Local Government Professionals Aotearoa as the legal name. The name Taituarā has been embraced since it was formally gifted by Ministers Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Hon Peeni Henare in 2021 but the previous name of SOLGM still remained the legal name.
- A more flexible membership model, allowing the organisation to evolve alongside the needs of its members
- Strengthened governance arrangements, including an updated Executive Committee structure, the ability to co-opt additional members to fill skills gaps and improve representation, and extended three-year terms to support continuity. This includes updating of how executive positions are referred to ie the ‘President’ is now the ‘Chair’
- The embedding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles, reinforcing our commitment to partnership with Māori and ensuring these principles are reflected throughout how we operate
- A clearer distinction between the Constitution and bylaws, enabling the Constitution to remain principles-based while allowing operational detail to be updated more easily over time
- Greater flexibility for branches, including decoupling them from Executive Committee elections while maintaining their important role in connecting members
- Improved clarity, structure, and accessibility of the document to ensure it is easier for members to understand and engage with
In addition, the Constitution now fully incorporates all requirements under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022, including strengthened provisions around governance processes, dispute resolution, financial management, and member rights and responsibilities.
This milestone marks the culmination of a significant programme of work over the past year, guided by the Executive Committee and supported by staff, legal advisors, and members across the motu.
Taituarā CE Suzanne Boyd says “This has been a massive piece of work for the Executive committee and our staff. A special thanks needs to go to Jason Marris and Sally Sheedy who have led this from the Executive and our CIO Rebecca Moore who has driven this project forward from review through to final submission.”
This achievement reflects the valuable contribution of Taituarā members. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to provide feedback on the draft Constitution, helping to shape a document that better reflects the needs and aspirations of our community.
Taiuarā would like to extend a special thank you to those members who provided feedback on the revised constitution and to those that attended the Special General Meeting (SGM) to adopt the revised Constitution and proceed with re-registration.
With the revised Constitution now in place, Taituarā is well positioned to continue supporting and advocating for local government professionals across Aotearoa, with a strong foundation for the future.
