Under the Associations Incorporation Act 1985 , prescribed associations (SEE PRESCRIBED ASSOCIATIONS) must hold annual general meetings, unless the association's rules do not provide for membership [s 39], or unless exempted by the Corporate Affairs Commission. A prescribed association's first annual general meeting must be within eighteen months of incorporation and from then on within five months of the end of the association's financial year.

While the Act only makes annual general meetings compulsory for prescribed associations with membership provisions, the rules of most incorporated associations require the association to hold an annual general meeting. Meetings must be held as stated in the association's rules.