The New Zealand Association of Optometrists (NZAO) finds itself at a constitutional crossroads. The Incorporated Societies Act 2022 has arrived, requiring us by law to modernise our governance structures by 5 April 2026. It is not optional. What is optional, however, is whether we seize this moment to implement genuine governance reform or merely shuffle our constitutional furniture while leaving the fundamental power structures untouched.
The Act itself is admirably agnostic by providing a supportive framework that requires clear officer terms and removal procedures while deliberately avoiding prescriptive mandates.
The proposal: a modest suggestion for democratic renewal
During NZAO’s first Special General Meeting (SGM) in June, I proposed what I considered a rather unremarkable addition to our new constitution: term limits for council members. This proposal was met with some reluctance from some NZAO members. I was pleased to hear, however, there was some support of my proposal at the subsequent SGM in July.
My original proposal was:











