ANUSA held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) this past Wednesday, May 11 to discuss the ANUSA budget, the election of the Financial Review Committee, changes to Clubs Regulations, Department Election Reforms and a spending cap of the upcoming ANUSA elections. 

President Christian Flynn opened the meeting with his report for Semester 2 of 2021 and Semester 1 of 2022. Flynn focused on how a bigger demand for services such as the BKSS meals and free breakfasts, grocery vouchers, and financial support grants was both rewarding for ANUSA but also a big task. 

Flynn reported that students had increasingly engaged with  significant activist campaigns over the past year, including  Invasion Day, Kill the Bill, and the Too Little, Too Late campaign. stressed ANUSA’s ongoing efforts to aid and engage in activism that better student experience at the ANU. 

Flynn also raised issues of financial stability and acknowledged that even though ANUSA received the guaranteed 35 percent of SSAF allocated from the funding pool, it is possible that next year they may not receive the same amount. 

The President called for a higher percentage of the SSAF from the ANU to go towards ANUSA to aid with the increase of ANUSA engagement and use of services, otherwise the current. ANUSA, however, will also generate income through the upcoming Night Cafe project that is on track to start operating soon.

Treasurer Jaya Ryan presented the Treasurer Report, Financial Audit Report and the Budget of ANUSA for Semester 2, 2022 and reassured that ANUSA is financially healthy.The budget was met with a good balance of usage and limited overspending. 

The next big discussion was the election of the Financial Review Committee for ANUSA, which aims to ensure that ANUSA is sustainable with their purchases and finances. Undergraduate student Riley Curtain was the only person nominated and thus was elected to the committee. 

A motion to ensure the autonomous department elections can take place with security and without any governance hurdles was passed. This creates a more straightforward process for the departments without having to use the casual vacancy loophole.

 The ANUSA Clubs Officer, Phoenix O’Neill, created and proposed the “Clubs Committee, Affiliation, Funding and Reprimands Regulation” to replace the previous “Clubs Regulations” to implement major changes in the handling and processes of Clubs on campus. 

This consists of easing the administrative burden for Club committees by not having Clubs Council meetings, making the policy more readable for the average student who would desire to start a club, condenses several policies into one, and addresses issues of discrimination in Clubs. 

Other motions passed include that all ANUSA governing documents include an Acknowledgement of Country written in consultation with the Indigenous Officer. 

Moreover, a motion was passed removing the spending cap on photography and design during the ANUSA elections. This is intended to avoid student artists being paid the bare minimum. 

The next ANUSA meeting will be SRC 4, taking place next Wednesday, May 18.