ACT Implementation Plan for National Fundraising Principles for Charities

On 10 February 2023, Treasurers from Australian jurisdictions met as the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR) and agreed to a set of National Fundraising Conduct Principles (the Principles). The Principles will harmonise the requirements for how charities conduct fundraising across Australia.

The Principles can be viewed here: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2022/media-releases/agreement-reached-reform-charitable-fundraising-laws.

The ACT Government intends to introduce legislation in 2024 that will amend the Charitable Collections Act 2003 and Charitable Collections Regulation 2003. This legislation will:

• make the Principles legally binding on all charities that conduct fundraising in the ACT
• create an enforcement mechanism so the ACT Government can take regulatory action to enforce the Principles, and
• remove existing obligations under ACT law that overlap with the Principles, as these will be outdated and duplicative once the Principles are in force.

Subject to the ACT Legislative Assembly passing the new legislation, it is anticipated that the new Principles will be in effect in ACT law in the second half of 2024.