For the first time under new legislation, ACNC announces that it is investigating a charity

The announcement is the first time the ACNC has acted under newly revised secrecy provisions introduced in early December, after the federal government passed legislation to help increase public understanding of ACNC investigations.

The official announcement of the investigation read, “The Commissioner is undertaking a recognised assessment activity in relation to the Shincheonji, Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, Peter Tribe, Australia Melbourne Church (Melbourne Zion Church) Incorporated (ABN 58378148030), noting published reporting regarding the organisation’s alleged activities.”

Woodward said, “I can confirm we are investigating the charity.”

“We take a range of regulatory actions, including issuing advice to charities. The ACNC can open an investigation into any concern we have about potential significant breaches of charity obligations.

“In making this disclosure, I must balance a range of factors, set out in the ACNC Act, including the need to protect the public.”

At the time of the new legislation, on December 3, 2025, Woodward said the new provisions allowed her to disclose information about investigations in limited circumstances. Under the provisions, she is able to disclose the fact that the ACNC is investigating a charity, or provide information relating to an investigation already publicly available.

“Any disclosure we make will have to go through a formal decision process,” Woodward said. “This will ensure that all the key factors are considered before a disclosure is made.”

In reality, the public doesn’t get to see very far inside the process.

A spokesperson for the ACNC said, “The reforms do not allow unlimited disclosure of protected ACNC information. Speaking generally, the ACNC does not provide updates on the status of an investigation.”

Asked if the public would receive notification of the result of the investigation, the spokesperson said it depended on the actions taken. If no or minimal action is required, the investigation quietly ends, but if there is a breach requiring remedy or discipline, this will be recorded on the Charity Register.

“Where the ACNC uses less formal regulatory tools – including entering into compliance agreements, or providing only regulatory advice – or finds no breaches of the ACNC Act, we cannot publish this information on the Charity Register,” the spokesperson explained.

  “Where the ACNC has decided to use any of its formal powers – these include, but are not limited, to issuing a warning, a direction or an enforceable undertaking to the charity; or removing a Responsible Person; or revoking the charity’s registration – we will publish information about their use on the charity’s record on the ACNC Charity Register.”

The charity being investigated, which has been described as a “cult” by some former followers, has had questions raised about its activities in public spaces. The Community Advocate is not saying it has done anything wrong, only that concerns have been raised by the public.

Revealing that an investigation is underway is a serious undertaking for the ACNC, even with the new licence to do so from December’s legislation. Before determining whether the disclosure is permitted under the revised secrecy provisions, Woodward said she needed to consider a range of factors, including the seriousness of the non-compliance and whether the risks weighed in favour of a disclosure. Any disclosure needed to be based on the actions of a charity, not on the actions of an individual acting without the charity’s authority.

“We must also consider whether disclosure could negatively affect another authority’s investigation, compromise evidence or the fairness of possible legal proceedings,” Woodward said.

“Our education-first approach to regulation will continue, but these exceptions provide an additional opportunity to disclose an investigation to prevent potential harm and ensure continued trust and confidence in the sector,” she said. “We continue to focus on preventing non-compliance and supporting charities to return to compliance where issues arise.”

Any investigation may take some time.

“Our approach to investigations is in line with the Australian Government Investigations Standards developed for Australian government entities to ensure quality investigative practices and outcomes,” an ACNC spokesperson told the Community Advocate. “Any investigation we undertake must be thorough, independent, comprehensive, proportionate and consistent with our approach to all investigations. They can be complex and take time to complete, and the length of an investigation is dependent on the level of complexity and the level of engagement required with a charity.”