Corporate Law Economic Reform Program (Audit Reform and Corporate Disclosure) Act 2004 (103 of 2004)

Schedule 1   Audit Reform

Part 3   Auditor appointment, independence and rotation requirements

Corporations Act 2001

96   Sections 327 and 328

Repeal the sections, substitute:

327A Public company auditor (initial appointment of auditor)

(1) The directors of a public company must appoint an auditor of the company within 1 month after the day on which a company is registered as a company unless the company at a general meeting has appointed an auditor.

(2) Subject to this Part, an auditor appointed under subsection (1) holds office until the company's first AGM.

(3) A director of a company must take all reasonable steps to comply with, or to secure compliance with, subsection (1).

327B Public company auditor (annual appointments at AGMs to fill vacancies)

(1) A public company must:

(a) appoint an auditor of the company at its first AGM; and

(b) appoint an auditor of the company to fill any vacancy in the office of auditor at each subsequent AGM.

(2) An auditor appointed under subsection (1) holds office until the auditor:

(a) dies; or

(b) is removed, or resigns, from office in accordance with section 329; or

(c) ceases to be capable of acting as auditor because of Division 2 of this Part; or

(d) ceases to be auditor under subsection (2A), (2B) or (2C).

(2A) An individual auditor ceases to be auditor of a company under this subsection if:

(a) on a particular day (the start day ), the individual auditor:

(i) informs ASIC of a conflict of interest situation in relation to the company under subsection 324CA(1A); or

(ii) informs ASIC of particular circumstances in relation to the company under subsection 324CE(1A); and

(b) the individual auditor does not give ASIC a notice, before the notification day (see subsection (2D)), that that conflict of interest situation has, or those circumstances have, ceased to exist before the end of the period (the remedial period ) of 21 days from the start day.

(2B) An audit firm ceases to be auditor of a company under this subsection if:

(a) on a particular day (the start day ), ASIC is:

(i) informed of a conflict of interest situation in relation to the company under subsection 324CB(1A); or

(ii) informed of particular circumstances in relation to the company under subsection 324CF(1A); and

(b) ASIC has not been given a notice on behalf of the audit firm, before the notification day (see subsection (2D)), that that conflict of interest situation has, or those circumstances have, ceased to exist before the end of the period (the remedial period ) of 21 days from the start day.

(2C) An audit company ceases to be auditor of a company under this subsection if:

(a) on a particular day (the start day ), ASIC is:

(i) informed of a conflict of interest situation in relation to the company under subsection 324CB(1A) or 324CC(1A); or

(ii) informed of particular circumstances in relation to the company under subsection 324CF(1A) or 324CG(1A) or (5A); and

(b) ASIC has not been given a notice on behalf of the audit company, before the notification day (see subsection (2D)), that that conflict of interest situation has, or those circumstances have, ceased to exist before the end of the period (the remedial period ) of 21 days from the start day.

(2D) The notification day is:

(a) the last day of the remedial period; or

(b) such later day as ASIC approves in writing (whether before or after the remedial period ends).

(3) A director of a company must take all reasonable steps to comply with, or to secure compliance with, subsection (1).

(4) If an audit firm ceases to be the auditor of a company under subsection (2) at a particular time, each member of the firm who:

(a) is taken to have been appointed as an auditor of the company under subsection 324AB(1) or 324AC(4); and

(b) is an auditor of the company immediately before that time;

ceases to be an auditor of the company at that time.

327C Public company auditor (appointment to fill casual vacancy)

(1) If:

(a) a vacancy occurs in the office of auditor of a public company; and

(b) the vacancy is not caused by the removal of an auditor from office; and

(c) there is no surviving or continuing auditor of the company;

the directors must, within 1 month after the vacancy occurs, appoint an auditor to fill the vacancy unless the company at a general meeting has appointed an auditor to fill the vacancy.

(2) An auditor appointed under subsection (1) holds office, subject to this Part, until the company's next AGM.

(3) A director of a public company must take all reasonable steps to comply with, or to secure compliance with, subsection (1).

327D Appointment to replace auditor removed from office

(1) This section deals with the situation in which an auditor of a company is removed from office at a general meeting in accordance with section 329.

(2) The company may at that general meeting (without adjournment), by special resolution immediately appoint an individual, firm or company as auditor of the company if a copy of the notice of nomination has been sent to the individual, firm or company under subsection 328B(3).

(3) If a special resolution under subsection (2):

(a) is not passed; or

(b) could not be passed merely because a copy of the notice of nomination has not been sent to an individual, firm or company under subsection 328B(3);

the general meeting may be adjourned and the company may, at the adjourned meeting, by ordinary resolution appoint an individual, firm or company as auditor of the company if:

(c) a member of the company gives the company notice of the nomination of the individual, firm or company for appointment as auditor; and

(d) the company receives the notice at least 14 clear days before the day to which the meeting is adjourned.

(4) The day to which the meeting is adjourned must be:

(a) not earlier than 20 days after the day of the meeting; and

(b) not later than 30 days after the day of the meeting.

(5) Subject to this Part, an auditor appointed under subsection (2) or (3) holds office until the company's next AGM.

327E ASIC may appoint public company auditor if auditor removed but not replaced

(1) This section deals with the situation in which a public company fails to appoint an auditor under subsection 327D(2) or (3). The failure is referred to as the auditor replacement failure .

(2) The company must give ASIC written notice of the auditor replacement failure within the period of 7 days commencing on the day of the auditor replacement failure (the notification period ).

(3) If the company gives ASIC the notice required by subsection (2), ASIC must appoint an auditor of the company as soon as practicable after receiving the notice. This subsection has effect subject to section 327G.

(4) If the company does not give ASIC the notice required by subsection (2), ASIC may appoint an auditor of the company at any time:

(a) after the end of the notification period; and

(b) before ASIC receives notice of the auditor replacement failure from the company.

This subsection has effect subject to section 327G.

(5) If the company:

(a) does not give ASIC the notice required by subsection (2); and

(b) gives ASIC notice of the auditor replacement failure after the end of the notification period;

ASIC must appoint an auditor of the company as soon as practicable after receiving the notice. This subsection has effect subject to section 327G.

(6) Subject to this Part, an auditor appointed under this section holds office until the company's next AGM.

327F ASIC's general power to appoint public company auditor

(1) ASIC may appoint an auditor of a public company if:

(a) the company does not appoint an auditor when required by this Act to do so; and

(b) a member of the company applies to ASIC in writing for the appointment of an auditor under this section.

This subsection has effect subject to section 327G.

(2) An individual, firm or company appointed as auditor of a company under subsection (1) holds office, subject to this Part, until the next AGM of the company.

327G Restrictions on ASIC's powers to appoint public company auditor

(1) ASIC may appoint an individual, firm or company as auditor of a company under section 327E or 327F only if the individual, firm or company consents to being appointed.

(2) ASIC must not appoint an auditor of a company under section 327E or 327F if:

(a) there is another auditor of the company (the continuing auditor ); and

(b) ASIC is satisfied that the continuing auditor is able to carry out the responsibilities of auditor alone; and

(c) the continuing auditor agrees to continue as auditor.

(3) ASIC must not appoint an auditor of a company under section 327E or 327F if:

(a) the company does not give ASIC the notice required by subsection 327E(2) before the end of the notification period; and

(b) ASIC has already appointed an auditor of the company under section 327E after the end of the notification period.

327H Effect on appointment of public company auditor of company beginning to be controlled by a corporation

An auditor of a public company that begins to be controlled by a corporation:

(a) must retire at the AGM of the company next held after the company begins to be controlled by the corporation unless the auditor vacates that office before then; and

(b) is, subject to this Part, eligible for re-appointment.

This section has effect notwithstanding subsection 327B(2).

327I Remaining auditors may act during vacancy

While a vacancy in the office of auditor of a company continues, the surviving or continuing auditor or auditors (if any) may act as auditors of the company.

328A Auditor's consent to appointment

(1) A company, the directors of a company or the responsible entity of a registered scheme must not appoint an individual, firm or company as auditor of the company unless that individual, firm or company:

(a) has consented, before the appointment, to act as auditor; and

(b) has not withdrawn that consent before the appointment is made.

For the purposes of this section, a consent, or the withdrawal of a consent, must be given by written notice to the company, the directors or the responsible entity of the scheme.

(2) A notice under subsection (1) given by a firm must be signed by a member of the firm who is a registered company auditor both:

(a) in the firm name; and

(b) in his or her own name.

(3) A notice under subsection (1) given by a company must be signed by a director or senior manager of the company both:

(a) in the company's name; and

(b) in his or her own name.

(4) If a company, the directors of a company or the responsible entity of a registered scheme appoints an individual, firm or company as auditor of a company in contravention of subsection (1):

(a) the purported appointment does not have any effect; and

(b) the company or responsible entity, and any officer of the company or responsible entity who is in default, are each guilty of an offence.

328B Nomination of auditor

(1) Subject to this section, a company may appoint an individual, firm or company as auditor of the company at its AGM only if a member of the company gives the company written notice of the nomination of the individual, firm or company for appointment as auditor:

(a) before the meeting was convened; or

(b) not less than 21 days before the meeting.

This subsection does not apply if an auditor is removed from office at the AGM.

(2) If a company purports to appoint an individual, firm or company as auditor of the company in contravention of subsection (1):

(a) the purported appointment is of no effect; and

(b) the company and any officer of the company who is in default are each guilty of an offence.

(3) If a member gives a company notice of the nomination of an individual, firm or company for appointment as auditor of the company, the company must send a copy of the notice to:

(a) each individual, firm or company nominated; and

(b) each auditor of the company; and

(c) each person entitled to receive notice of general meetings of the company.

This is so whether the appointment is to be made at a meeting or an adjourned meeting referred to in section 327D or at an AGM.

(4) The copy of the notice of nomination must be sent:

(a) not less than 7 days before the meeting; or

(b) at the time notice of the meeting is given.

Subdivision B - Removal and resignation of company auditors


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