Do All Motions Need To Be Moved And Seconded?

The question of whether every motion needs to be moved and seconded comes up regularly in Australian committee meetings — and the answer is not the same for every organisation. Getting it wrong has real governance consequences, both for the validity of decisions made and for the accuracy of the minutes.

Here’s what you need to know.

The General Rule

In most Australian incorporated associations, the requirement for a mover and seconder is specified in the organisation’s constitution (also called its rules). If your constitution requires a seconder before a motion can be put to a vote, that requirement is binding — a motion put without a seconder is not properly before the meeting and any vote taken on it may be invalid.

If the constitution doesn’t specify, practice and precedent apply: if your organisation has customarily required a seconder, that custom should be continued unless the committee formally resolves to change it. The Chair has discretion in this area, but departing from established practice unilaterally is poor governance.

The first step when in doubt: read your constitution. The provisions governing meetings — including how motions are put, how votes are taken, and what happens in a tie — should all be there.

Why the Seconder Matters

The seconder serves a practical governance purpose: it provides basic validation that at least two members of the meeting consider the matter worth deliberating. Without a seconder, a lone member can put any motion before the board regardless of whether anyone else thinks it merits discussion. The seconder requirement filters out motions that have no apparent support before the full debate and vote consume meeting time.

It also creates a clearer record: the minutes should note both the mover and the seconder for every motion. This documentation confirms that the proper process was followed and that the decision was made by the board collectively, not by a single individual.

Exceptions Under Robert’s Rules

Some Australian associations — particularly those with a more formal governance tradition — follow Robert’s Rules of Order in addition to their own constitution. Robert’s Rules specifies two exceptions to the seconder requirement:

1. Small boards: When a board has fewer than twelve members, motions do not require a seconder under Robert’s Rules. The reasoning is that in a small group, requiring a seconder adds procedural formality without meaningfully filtering out unsupported motions.

2. Committee reports: When a motion is moved to implement the recommendations of a formal committee report, a seconder is not required. The committee’s report is treated as the source of support.

These exceptions only apply if your organisation has formally adopted Robert’s Rules. Even then, your own constitution takes precedence in any conflict.

What Goes in the Minutes

Regardless of whether your organisation requires a seconder, every motion put to a vote should appear in the minutes with:

• The exact wording of the motion as put
• The name of the mover
• The name of the seconder (if required or customary)
• The vote outcome: carried, lost, or carried unanimously
• If carried: the resolution wording (which should match the motion wording exactly)

“Motion carried” without the resolution text is not adequate. Neither is recording the seconder’s name as “another member” or “a committee member” — it should be the actual name. These details matter when the governance record is reviewed by a regulator, an auditor, or a new director trying to understand the context of a decision made two years ago.

The process of moving and seconding a motion isn’t governance theatre — it’s the mechanism that turns individual proposals into formal board decisions with a documented trail. Done consistently and recorded correctly, it’s what makes the minutes legally meaningful rather than just a summary of a discussion.