Where a contract imposes an obligation to process applications with due diligence so as not to impede or prevent access, the obligor must deal promptly with any application received, regardless of whether it complies with a prescribed form. The proper response to a non-compliant application is to raise concerns with the applicant promptly, not to ignore the application. The contractual matrix, including rules incorporated by reference, forms an important part of the context for construing obligations relating to membership applications under an association's constitution.
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