Management and Governance at Pets Australia
Directors and Staff
There are two groups of Directors at Pets Australia, each with specific tasks.
The Governance Board is a small group charged with overall responsiblity for Pets Australia strategy and for complying with all relevant laws. This requires training and expertise in Company Directorship – something the majority of Industry Associations simply don’t have. This Board (which includes expertise from within the industry and outside it) ultimately responsible for the company. It does not (and probably never will) include any current Directors of any other Pet Industry group. If this changes or is likely to change at any time in the future, members will be consulted first.
Nominations for this group (when vacancies occur) will be advertised to members, non members and those from outside the industry. Initial selection will be by a group of members, directors and staff formed as a nomination committee and recommended to the Board. Unlike other associations, nominations will be on the basis of skills, training and experience in company directorship, so members know they will be in good hands.
The Governance Board is a stable group and is meant to be. The Managing Director of Pets Australia is in this group – which provides stability in day-to-day operations as well.
The Advisory Board is a group charged with general and policy direction of Pets Australia. This group is nominated by the membership or members can self nominate, and may include former directors of other Industry Associations, but not current directors of other groups. This group sets policy, advises on industry conditions, suggests new initiatives, suggests new member services, identifies areas for improvement, consults with members and identifies (and assists with) development of government submissions. There is no formal term for Advisory Board members and no restriction (other than logistics) on the number of persons who can participate in this group.
Pets Australia – where we come from:
Pets Australia is NOT an offshoot of another Industry Association or group. It is an entirely new company, developed with you in mind.
Pets Australia is the brainchild of a small group of people recognised that its time to move industry groups into a new era – who decided that:
- Monopolies get stale and there should be competition. You live in a competitive business world, why shouldn’t we?
- Services businesses like Pets Australia should be focussed entirely on members - not “getting elected”, “being famous”, personal gain, or second agendas . We serve the “silent majority”; people who are so good at their businesses or so committed to pet ownership that they don’t have time for the internal political stuff. You are one of those – you just want great education, good services and solid representation on issues that are important to you.
- Governance and compliance with laws is important. We don’t shred documents or pretend we are tax exempt when we aren’t, we keep records and deal with the spirit of the law as well as the letter of it.
- Ethics is important. We don’t bend rules, we don’t “fail to renew people’s memberships” without really good reason properly discussed with the member beforehand. Pets Australia doesn’t “investigate” complaints against ourselves or our members (there are better and more “arms length” agencies to do that), we don’t act on rumour or verbal complaint and we don’t talk about people with disrespect behind their backs and sweetly to their faces. We respect and honour all members, stakeholders and partners.
- Science is important. We are weary of claims without data, suggestions that anecdote is truth, “quick fixes” to complex problems, or “being seen to do something” if you know it probably won’t work. Pets Australia uses science to ask for policy trials, collects data, measures outcomes and suggests step by step improvements to big and complex issues – and will state any conflict of interest openly.
- Standards are important. Pets Australia is deeply committed to education and continuous improvement. We understand that some have further to travel on the standards front than others, and will reward the excellent, assist the needy and report those who are not up to standard. We will work with government to set enforceable standards with proper prosecutions.
Pets Australia is a Pty Limited Company. Why?
It used to be that “Not For Profits” were also “Not For Tax”. This all changed in 2002 & 2005 – nowadays most “Not For Profits” are actually “For Tax” including most Industry Associations. This structure has significant limitations, for example:
- really significant reporting requirements to ASIC, costing time and money every year
- no ability to return finds to members. For Example if 5 “reptile” members put some money together to “buy” some PR firm time or trade show exhibit and the money is not all spent, in a Pty Limited company those funds are returned to the members. In most Industry Association constitutions, that cannot happen.
By contrast a Pty Limited can return funds to members, has reduced reporting requirements (reducing administration costs) and can separate governance from policy – allowing you to get really well trained and qualified governance directors to act on your behalf.
The ideal structure for a services company is to have the benefits of a Pty Limited structure, but then operate it on a “profits back to improving member services” basis. That is what the Directors of Pets Australia have decided to do.