Sub-Branch Meeting and AGM Guidance

Sub-Branch meetings, AGMs and elections

Guidance for Sub-Branch Reps and Returning Officers (NT Branch Rules)

This page explains how sub-branches hold meetings through the year, and how to run the April AGM and Sub-Branch Executive elections in line with the NT Branch Rules.

Table : AGM Schedule

When	What happens
At least 15 days prior to AGM	Meet with the other reps at your sub-branch to appoint a Returning Officer and complete the Notice of AGM Form with the details of your Returning Officer and AGM date.
14–30 days before the AGM	Send the call for nominations to members and open nominations.
On the day nominations open	Request the list of financial members from the Branch/Region office.
AGM day (before the meeting starts)	Close nominations, confirm any updates to the list of financial members, and confirm whether any positions are contested.
AGM day (elections agenda item)	Run the election process and declare the outcome.
Within 14 days after the AGM	Send the election results to the Branch office for records.

 

Preparing for the AGM and elections (April)

1) Appoint the Returning Officer (after 1 February)

The Sub-Branch Executive appoints a Returning Officer (Rule 127). 

Returning Officer eligibility

The Returning Officer (and assistants) must meet all requirements in Rule 127, including that they:

• are financial members (Rule 127), and
• are not candidates in any election being conducted (Rule 127), and
• do not hold any other office in the Branch, a Region, or any Sub-Branch (Rule 127), and
• are not employees of the Union Branch, a Region, or any Sub-Branch (Rule 127).

The Returning Officer may call on the Branch Secretary for clerical assistance (Rule 127).

2) Set the AGM date (April)

The AGM should be held in April (Rule 66). Ensure “Elections” is a clear agenda item for the AGM (Rule 115(d)).

3) Notify the Branch Office of AGM

Complete the complete the Notice of AGM Form with the details of your Returning Officer and AGM date.

4) Call for nominations (14–30 days before the AGM)

The Returning Officer must call for nominations:

• no more than 30 days before the AGM, and
• no later than 14 days before the AGM,
  
  by notice to each member of the Sub-Branch (Rule 115(b)).

Nominations close immediately before the time appointed for holding the AGM (Rule 115(b)).

5) Nomination requirements

Nominations must comply with the rules on nominations, including eligibility and the form of nomination (Rules 121–122).

If a nomination is defective, the Rules provide a process to notify the defect and (where practicable) allow it to be corrected within the timeframe allowed (Rule 128). This sits alongside the Rule 115 requirement that nominations close immediately before the AGM (Rules 115(b), 128).

6) Confirm the roll of financial members

The Returning Officer must obtain from the Branch Secretary or Regional Secretary:

• the roll of financial members of the sub-branch as at the opening of nominations, and
• advice of any changes to the roll on the date nominations close (Rule 115(c)).

Running elections at the AGM (Rule 115)

1) Returning Officer presides for the election agenda item

Elections must be an AGM agenda item. When that item is reached, the Returning Officer presides over the meeting for the purposes of conducting the election (Rule 115(d)).

2) If nominations are equal to (or fewer than) vacancies

If no more than the required number of nominations are received (or fewer), the Returning Officer declares the nominees elected (Rule 115(e)).

3) If a ballot is required (more nominations than vacancies)

Where it is necessary to conduct an election, the Returning Officer must:

• permit candidates to address the meeting for no more than 5 minutes (Rule 115(f)), and
• if directed by a majority of members present, allow further time for members to ask questions (Rule 115(f)).

The Returning Officer then:

• distributes ballot papers to eligible voters, instructs members how to vote, and allows reasonable time to complete ballot papers (Rule 115(g)), then
• closes the ballot, counts votes, and declares the successful candidates elected (Rule 115(h)).

4) Ballot integrity and scrutineers

The Returning Officer must ensure members can vote without intimidation and ensure secrecy and security of the ballot (Rule 115(i)).

Scrutineers may be appointed in accordance with the Rules (Rule 130).

5) If positions are still unfilled at the AGM

If there are insufficient nominations for a position, the Returning Officer may call nominations from financial members attending the AGM to fill the position(s). The Returning Officer then either:

• declares the nominee elected (if uncontested), or
• conducts a ballot (if contested) (Rule 115(k)).

This also links to the treatment of insufficient nominations under the Rules (Rule 117).

6) Other rules may apply

Other provisions of the Rules apply to sub-branch elections to the extent they can be applied without conflict. If there is a conflict, Rule 115 prevails (Rule 115(j)).

After the AGM: notify the Branch (Rule 65(c))

After elections are conducted, the sub-branch must provide the names of those elected to the Branch Secretary within 2 weeks of the ballot being conducted (Rule 65(c)).

Casual vacancies between AGMs (Rule 120)

If a Sub-Branch Executive position becomes vacant between AGMs, it may be filled by appointment at a sub-branch meeting (Rule 120).

If a position is left unfilled because there were insufficient nominations, the Rules link this to the casual vacancy provisions (Rule 117).

 

Key definitions

Branch Conference Delegates

Branch Conference Delegates are not the same thing as the Sub-Branch Executive. These elections are covered in a separate guide.

A Branch Conference Delegate is elected to represent your sub-branch to the AEUNT Branch Conference. They are considered to be an “officer” of the Branch with governance responsibilities under the Fair Work Act, due to power of Branch Conference to consider and vote on changes to the Branch Rules. Due to this function, from 2026 this is a separate election process that is conducted by the AEC. Sub-Branches should not elect their Conference Delegate/s at their AGM.

Each Sub-Branch is entitled to elect 1 delegate for every 20 financial members (or part thereof). They do not have to be the same people who hold the Sub-Branch Executive roles.

 

Sub-Branch Executive

The Sub-Branch Executive is the small group of elected members who help coordinate union activity at your workplace (Rule 56). We often refer to them as “Sub-Branch Reps”.

In practical terms, they help:

• organise sub-branch meetings and keep members informed
• encourage member participation and connection
• support members with workplace issues (with AEU NT Office Support)

 

• coordinate workplace organising and campaign activity
• support a safe and respectful union culture locally

Number of Positions

Sub-branches with 9 or fewer members elect a Sub-Branch President only. Sub-branches with 10 or more members also elect a Sub-Branch Vice-President and a Sub-Branch Secretary. (Rule 56)

• Sub-Branch President: Leads the sub-branch, chairs meetings, responsible for coordinating union activity at the workplace.
• Sub-Branch Vice Presidents assists the Sub-Branch President to represent the sub-branch, chairs meetings when they need to step out of the chair to report or are absent,

 

• Secretary (Rule 56): responsible for maintaining the list of financial members at the sub-branch, sending agendas, taking minutes and facilitating information exchange with the Branch Secretary/Office

 

Sub-branch meeting

A Sub-Branch meeting is a workplace union meeting. Sub-branches must hold at least four meetings each year (Rule 65(d)). Sub-branches may hold more meetings as needed (Rule 65(d)), and meeting notice/quorum rules apply (Rules 69–72, 87).

Sub-Branch AGM

The Sub-Branch AGM is the formal annual meeting of the sub-branch held in April (Rule 66). The annual election of the Sub-Branch Executive is conducted at the AGM (Rule 115(a)).

Returning Officer

The Returning Officer is the person who runs the election process at the AGM (Rule 115(d)). They manage nominations, confirm eligibility, run any ballot, count votes, and declare results (Rule 115).

Casual vacancy

A casual vacancy is a Sub-Branch Executive position that is vacant between AGMs and needs to be filled outside the annual election cycle. Vacant positions arising from insufficient nominations are dealt with under the casual vacancy provisions (Rule 117), and casual vacancies are filled by appointment (Rule 120).

Meeting essentials (notice, quorum, adjournment)

These rules apply to sub-branch meetings and AGMs.

Notice

Members must be given notice of meetings in line with the Rules, including the business to be conducted (Rule 69).

Quorum

A meeting needs quorum to proceed (Rule 87). Quorum is:

• Sub-branches with fewer than 10 members: a majority of members (Rule 87(e)).
• Sub-branches with more than 10 members: 30% of members (Rule 87(e)).

If quorum is not present

If quorum is not present within the required period, the meeting must be adjourned in accordance with the Rules (Rule 70).

Adjournment

Adjournment rules apply, including what business can be dealt with at an adjourned meeting and how notice is handled (Rules 71–72).

The AGM can be adjourned only within the limits set by the Rules (Rule 66; see also Rules 71–72).

Branch Rules

NT Branch Rules