Background

The NZ Cycling Conferences have been held approximately biennially since 1997.  A summary can be found on Wikipedia. The organisation of individual conferences is undertaken by a committee that is formed for that purpose, usually including CAN volunteers and members of key government agencies and local authorities.

In 2001 Christchurch City Council hosted the Conference and a surplus was made, creating a pool of money that was intended to form a 'seed' fund for future conferences and to help cover the shortfall if a Conference made a loss. Each succeeding conference has used that money to get the process of organising going and until 2011 has added to the fund at the end of the event.

One 'lead' organisation has held the funds during and after each conference organising period and has passed it to the next 'lead' organisation in time for the following conference. The funds started when Christchurch City Council organised the conference in 2001, were passed to Cycle Support NZ (now defunct) for the 2003 conference, to Bike NZ for the 2005 conference and to the Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) for the 2007 conference.

CAN set up a separate bank account to hold the conference funds and the money has remained in that account since 2007. The signatories to that account (called 'CAN Conference') are the same as the signatories to all other CAN accounts. The funds are recognised on the CAN financial statements as a liability on the balance sheet and CAN accounts for the GST on Conference transactions alongside its own transactions.

In 2011, the inaugural combined Walking & Cycling Conference was held and the conference funds were used as 'seed funding'. An agreement was made with Living Streets Aotearoa that any profit or loss would be shared equally between CAN and LSA. In the event, a loss was made and LSA paid half of that amount back into the Conference fund.

CAN policy is that:

• The funds in the 'CAN Conference' bank account do not belong to CAN but are held in trust by CAN for the purpose of running the NZ Cycling Conferences (or combined Walking&Cycling Conferences). Signatories to the account (or accounts) holding the Conference funds are the same as for all other CAN bank accounts.

• The use of Conference funds is directed by the Conference Organising Committee and the CAN account signatories will act in accordance with the lawful instructions of that Committee once it has been properly convened for each Conference.

• CAN will use its best endeavours to protect the funds and any interest earned on them in the period between each Conference when there is no Conference Organising Committee operating.

• CAN will ensure that a Conference Organising Committee is convened at an appropriate time before each succeeding Conference (normally every two years) and will appoint at least two people to the Conference Organising Committee. Where possible, CAN will endeavour to ensure that there are at least two members of the Conference Organising Committee who have experience on a previous Organising Committee, to provide continuity.

• CAN will ensure that each new Conference Organising Committee is made aware of this policy once convened.

• When a Conference is held in conjunction with another organisation (e.g. Living Streets Aotearoa), CAN will agree in advance on the division of any profit or loss and the level of responsibility each organisation will have for the financial stewardship of that Conference.

• CAN will normally act as the legal entity for the purpose of signing contracts associated with the Conference. Where appropriate, agreement will also be made with partner entities on the level of responsibility taken for contractual relationships associated with Conference organisation (for example, signing a contract with a Professional Conference Organiser).

• At the winding up of each Conference, the Conference Organising Committee shall be given the power to recommend distribution of any profit from that Conference to relevant, sympathetic and appropriate activities. The intention of this provision is to avoid the Cycling Conference funds building up to a level greater than is necessary to ensure the survival of the Conference series and to ensure that any surplus Cycling Conference funds are used for worthy cycling advocacy projects.

• If CAN either ceases to exist or no longer wishes to manage the Conference funds, it will use its best endeavours to find another organisation to take on the task and pass the funds to that organisation to manage in trust for the continuation of the Cycling Conference series.

• If the Conference series is discontinued, the accumulated funds will be distributed to an organisation (or organisations) with similar aims and objectives. Where possible, CAN will consult with other entities that have been involved in organising the Conferences and attempt to gain consensus on the distribution of funds but if consensus is not possible then CAN will make the final decision.

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZ_Cycling_Conference, "NZ Cycling Conference" article on Wikipedia, last accessed on 4 February 2012.