[Centres] FW: IMPORTANT Seeking Understanding Part 2 of 2

Mon May 29 21:19:52 AEST 2023

Secretary,

RDA (NSW) Centre.

As the email in the history to this email was sent to all Centres, it is appropriate that the response of the Board of RDA (NSW) is also sent to all Centres in order to clarify any misunderstandings that may arise from the questions which have been raised in the email below.

The response of the Board is attached to this  email.

Regards,

Joseph Orland

Honorary Director, Finance Officer & Company Secretary

Riding for the Disabled Association (NSW)

Mob: 0407 004 019; Email:  <mailto:stateoffice at rdansw.org.au> joseph.orland at rdansw.org.au

From: Anna Rimac <annamrimac at gmail.com <mailto:annamrimac at gmail.com> >
Date: 26 May 2023 at 3:24:52 pm AEST
To: alburywodonga at rdansw.org.au <mailto:alburywodonga at rdansw.org.au> , armidaleandnewengland at rdansw.org.au <mailto:armidaleandnewengland at rdansw.org.au> , ballinaanddistrict at rdansw.org.au <mailto:ballinaanddistrict at rdansw.org.au> , bathurst at rdansw.org.au <mailto:bathurst at rdansw.org.au> , bluemountains at rdansw.org.au <mailto:bluemountains at rdansw.org.au> , boxhilltalltimbers at rdansw.org.au <mailto:boxhilltalltimbers at rdansw.org.au> , centralcoast at rdansw.org.au <mailto:centralcoast at rdansw.org.au> , coffsharbour at rdansw.org.au <mailto:coffsharbour at rdansw.org.au> , cootamundra at rdansw.org.au <mailto:cootamundra at rdansw.org.au> , cowra at rdansw.org.au <mailto:cowra at rdansw.org.au> , forbes at rdansw.org.au <mailto:forbes at rdansw.org.au> , goulburn at rdansw.org.au <mailto:goulburn at rdansw.org.au> , griffith at rdansw.org.au <mailto:griffith at rdansw.org.au> , gunnedah at rdansw.org.au <mailto:gunnedah at rdansw.org.au> , Illawarra at rdansw.org.au <mailto:Illawarra at rdansw.org.au> , kempsey at rdansw.org.au <mailto:kempsey at rdansw.org.au> , kendall at rdansw.org.au <mailto:kendall at rdansw.org.au> , manning at rdansw.org.au <mailto:manning at rdansw.org.au> , mossvale at rdansw.org.au <mailto:mossvale at rdansw.org.au> , mudgee at rdansw.org.au <mailto:mudgee at rdansw.org.au> , narrabri at rdansw.org.au <mailto:narrabri at rdansw.org.au> , orange at rdansw.org.au <mailto:orange at rdansw.org.au> , raymondterrace at rdansw.org.au <mailto:raymondterrace at rdansw.org.au> , Richmond at rdansw.org.au <mailto:Richmond at rdansw.org.au> , ryde at rdansw.org.au <mailto:ryde at rdansw.org.au> , tamworth at rdansw.org.au <mailto:tamworth at rdansw.org.au> , tumut at rdansw.org.au <mailto:tumut at rdansw.org.au> , tweedvalley at rdansw.org.au <mailto:tweedvalley at rdansw.org.au> , upperhunter at rdansw.org.au <mailto:upperhunter at rdansw.org.au> , rda wagga <waggawagga at rdansw.org.au <mailto:waggawagga at rdansw.org.au> >, wauchopeportmacquarie at rdansw.org.au <mailto:wauchopeportmacquarie at rdansw.org.au> , wollondilly at rdansw.org.au <mailto:wollondilly at rdansw.org.au> , young at rdansw.org.au <mailto:young at rdansw.org.au> , coonarda at gmail.com <mailto:coonarda at gmail.com> , RDA STATE OFFICE <stateoffice at rdansw.org.au <mailto:stateoffice at rdansw.org.au> >
Cc: mwroutledge at gmail.com <mailto:mwroutledge at gmail.com> , RDA Grants Ballina and District <rdagrants at gmail.com <mailto:rdagrants at gmail.com> >
Subject: IMPORTANT Seeking Understanding Part 2 of 2

Thanks for your considerable feedback (from across the state) all of which questioned the governance of RDA, 

What's extremely worrying is your insistence that I maintain confidentiality regarding that feedback.

Please take a moment to consider the ACNC Standards for associations to maintain their charitable status. Standard 2 - A charity that has members must take reasonable steps to be accountable to its members and provide them with adequate opportunity to raise concerns about how the charity is governed. 

NOTE; From the ACNC website 'Ways to meet this standard; common steps your charity can take to meet this standard are to; organise a meeting at least annually with members (such as an annual general meeting) with opportunities to ask questions and vote on resolutions'. 

The way I understand this is that Centre Members must have confidence in their governance or risk losing its Charitable status. To have confidence, members must be able to ask questions and be satisfied with the answers. 

ATTENTION; Passing of the Annual Financial Report means that all voting centres have approved it. This is a legally binding action. Centres are responsible for approving this at the AGM. This was done with unasked and unanswered questions.

Like so many of you, I made the round trip to Sydney (using my own time and funds) with questions for our Board of Directors. On arrival I found a security guard had been hired and the legal requirement and opportunity to ask general questions at the end of that meeting had been 'postponed' until June 3rd. This is the third year in a row that this part of the AGM has been effectively stopped. How many regional centres will be able to attend another meeting in Sydney again? The zoom option had very poor sound quality and no possibility to participate was offered. 

Questions were allowed if relating to specific reports (e.g. Financial Report). I was forbidden from asking any, since Ballina Centre was 'according to the board' in administration despite that status being invalid (based on clear legal advice sent to the Board prior to the AGM).

After the meeting had ended, I stood up and asked to speak. The board immediately declared that I wasn't allowed to, however member centres attending encouraged me to do so and I spoke briefly about my 10 year involvement with RDA and my concerns with the culture of the association. I was not allowed to ask any questions of the board.

The questions I wanted to ask (including extra ones now, from you) are below; 

Relating to the Annual Report;

1.	Where has the amount of $377,044.71 referred to as 'other expenses' actually been spent? (in the Audited Accounts 2022) 
2.	Where are RDA funds invested (currently and historically) and who makes the decision as to where they are held? 
3.	Where and how are profits to be invested or distributed? 
4.	When the question regarding the income of $740k was raised at the AGM, (clearly an error) why wasn't that simply corrected at the AGM?  
5.	Why were there no detailed financial figures available at the AGM? 
6.	Why does the Annual Report state that RDA is run 'in a business like manner' not as a 'business' when clearly the organisation is a registered business and operates under Australian Business Law? (pg.12)
7.	Why does the Annual Report also state that to make this change to being 'a business' there is an estimated cost of $200k per board role per annum in wages, when the vast majority of the hundreds of Charities and Not For Profit Businesses in Australia run with volunteer board members? (pg.12) e.g. I have been a volunteer Director of a Not for Profit organisation (run by volunteers and paid employees) with a gross annual income of $2.2M. This Not for Profit was indeed so successful that it donated its profits to local charities.  
8.	Why is there an intention to buy another property for RDA? (referred to in the annual report pg.12) 
9.	What is the budget for that purchase?
10.	How does the board intend to raise the funds required to purchase the 'suitable property' ? (referred to in the annual report pg.12)
11.	Where might that property be located? 

Relating to other matters;

1.	Which grants have been applied for by which centres in 2022? 
2.	Of these grants, which have been successful?  
3.	Why have there been 3 consecutive AGM's conducted where no questions from the floor were allowed?
4.	Have Member Centres (and/or other community Stakeholders) ever been invited to contribute to strategic planning for RDA (NSW)? If not, why not?
5.	How can we access the updated version of the Strategic Plan?
6.	How can centres access Board Meeting Minutes? 
7.	Why does the email address 'centres at rdansw.org.au <mailto:centres at rdansw.org.au> ' constantly stop centre to centre communication, particularly when that communication relates to matters for which centres are hoping to gain support from other centres.

The answers to these questions should be simple and straightforward. 

I look forward to learning more about our RDA governance while I continue to enrich the lives of people with disabilities through volunteering at RDA. 

-- 

Kind regards,  

Anna Rimac

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