We are pleased to announce that FCVic has a new Constitution. The new Constitution was developed as part of an extensive Governance Review led by the FCVic Board and supported by external governance expert Geoff Carter and FCVic staff. A special resolution to adopt the new Constitution was passed at our recent Annual General Meeting held on 7 October, with 69 of 70 votes cast in favour, zero opposed, and one abstention.

As outlined in our April, May, and July updates, the Governance Review was undertaken as part of FCVic’s ongoing commitment to strong, contemporary governance and to ensuring the organisation continues to work effectively for its members. The Governance Review involved a six-month consultation with members via surveys, written feedback, and briefings, as well as member workshops.

Key themes in the new Constitution include the following:

• Strong, clear statements of FCVic’s Purpose and Objectives, reflecting the purpose set out in FCVic’s Strategic Plan.
• Strong general rights and powers for members, with specific details set out at policy level rather than in the Constitution.
• Selection of the Chair by the FCVic Board from among its existing Directors.
• Removal of the reference to ‘Honorary Life Member’ from the FCVic Constitution, with lifetime achievement instead recognised through an award category at policy level.
• A Board of between six and 11 Directors in total, made up of between six and eight Elected Directors, including the Chair, and up to three Appointed Directors, with consistent terms for all Directors of up to three consecutive terms of three years each.
• The addition of important governance details to the Constitution, including the role of, and relationship between, the Chief Executive Officer and the Board, as well as details relating to financial oversight, risk management, and legal protections.

The Governance Review and new Constitution align closely with FCVic’s Strategic Plan 2025–2028, launched in October 2025, and we thank those who contributed to this important work.

Please contact FCVic via [email protected] if you have any questions about the new Constitution.