Statement from the Board 9 March 2018

1. Changing CPA Australia’s constitution

The AGM is being held on 22 May in Melbourne and changes to our constitution will be voted on by members.

The Independent Review provided a set of recommendations to change the governance structures at CPA Australia to lessen the powers of the Board and provide more accountability to members.

The Board is supportive of the recommendations and released an Issues Paper in February for members to consider.

We want your views about how the proposed changes should proceed.

The largest consultation program ever undertaken by CPA Australia is underway with more than 30 Member Consultation Forums. This is in addition to the 40 Focus Groups we are running with members to get views on the future corporate strategy.

We are hearing you want governance issues fixed and you want CPA Australia to start focusing on improved services for members.

Please provide your feedback on changes to governance by attending a Forum, a webinar, talking to your Divisional or Branch Council or through the website.

2. Free CPD

Thank you to everyone who completed the member engagement survey. The results will be included in the Integrated Annual Report which will be released in April.

One of the clear messages from the survey results was members want greater access to CPD through their professional body.

The Board advanced this priority issue at our meeting this week. We are very pleased to advise that all members will have access to 28.5 hours free CPD this year and on an ongoing basis. 

The offer will be delivered online to ensure maximum accessibility to members wherever they live and work.

We will send you more details in coming weeks.

3. New Public Practice campaign

The Board is also taking action on the feedback we have received from members in public practice.

CPA Australia has previously introduced the “Lead the Change” program. It was designed to attract the next generation of accountants to public practice. As part of the campaign CPA Australia established a concierge service to provide tailored support for our public practitioners.

The Board recognises the work that has occurred but we have determined that significantly more resources need to be put behind supporting members in public practice.

We will be able to announce more details about a public practice campaign in April. It will be focused on assisting public practitioners to grow their business and will have a public facing element to lift awareness of the breadth of services public practitioners offer.

4. Integrated Annual Report (including financial accounts)

We know that members are looking for an improved level of transparency.

The 2017 Integrated Report, including the financial accounts, will be released in April. It will include a higher level of financial disclosure than has occurred previously. There will be more detail in the financial report outlining expenditure items. For example, where previously an item had been reported at a high level, it will be broken down into multiple line items.

There is still a long way to go, but working together with members and Divisional and Branch Council, we are working towards making positive change.

Peter Wilson AM FCPA
For the CPA Australia Board of Directors