Office of the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations 2003-2004 Yearbook publications and training The following publications are available on the ORAC website, www.orac.gov.au. Information guides Guides to forms 1. Setting up an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Guide to completing name and address of public officer: Islander corporation Form 4 2. The rules of the corporation Guide to completing the application for incorporation: 3. Changing the rules Form 6 4. Register of members and membership records Guide to amending objects or constitutions: Form 8 5. The rights and obligations of members Guide to changing the name of a corporation: Forms 9 and 10 6. The role of the governing committee Guide for filing annual returns with ORAC 7. The role of the chairperson Model rules 8. The role of the treasurer 9. The role of the secretary Training 10. The role of the public officer ORAC offers three types of targeted training: 11. Running a governing committee meeting • information sessions with corporations, 12. Conflicts of interest particularly board members and managers 13. Running an annual general meeting • three-day workshops on corporate governance 14. Running a special general meeting • the Certificate IV and Diploma of Business 15. How to keep proper minutes and why (Governance). 16. Preparing and using budgets for management In addition, ORAC has produced a training video, 17. Looking after the corporation’s finances ‘Meetings means business—a guide to conducting a 18. It’s the end of the year: what do we do? successful board meeting’. 19. Exemption from preparing and lodging audited To enquire about training, contact ORAC’s training and financial statements publications team on (02) 6212 2254 or 20. Does your corporation need assistance? toll free 1800 622 431. 21. When, why, and how does the registrar intervene? Office of the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations Yearbook 2003-2004 The Office of the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations (ORAC) supports and regulates 2,713 corporations controlled by Indigenous people throughout Australia, and provides an avenue for new Indigenous incorporations where these are necessary. The office does its work in a way that responds to the special needs and risks of Indigenous groups and corporations. It delivers this tailored service in line with current and emerging Australian and international law and practice on good corporate governance. ORAC can be contacted at: Street address: Level 4, Churches Centre, Woden ACT Postal address: PO Box 2029, Woden ACT 2606 Telephone: 1800 622 431 (toll free) Registrar Director, Regulation Fax: 02 6281 2739 LAURA BEACROFT PETER ARMSTRONG Email: [email protected] (02) 6212 2266 (02) 6212 2299 Website: www.orac.gov.au This yearbook is available on the ORAC website—see the back cover for details of more ORAC publications. Location of registered Indigenous corporations, by ATSIC region and state Director, Incorporation and Support Services Director, Training and Publications JOE MASTROLEMBO KERRIE NELSON (02) 6212 2288 (02) 6212 2260 Director, Corporate Relations and Support Director, Legislative Reform JODIE GODDARD TONI MATULICK Jodie Goddard was appointed to this position (02) 6212 2261 in January 2005 (02) 6212 2262 Location of registered Indigenous corporations, by ATSIC region and state/territory. Data for this map appears in Appendix B of the yearbook. ORAC toll free telephone number – 1800 622 431 Level 4, Churches Centre, Woden ACT 2606 Email: [email protected] Website: www.orac.gov.au Office of the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations Yearbook 2003-2004 1 Edited by: WordsWorth Writing Designed by: Levitate Graphic Design Printed by: Canprint Communications Pty Ltd ISSN 1036-2142 © Commonwealth of Australia 2005 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth, available from ORAC. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Registrar, ORAC, Level 4, Churches Centre, Woden ACT 2606. Some names may be mentioned, or images portrayed, of people who have died since the events recorded in this report. ORAC apologises for any hurt caused. 2 Office of the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations Yearbook 2003–2004 Our performance in 2003–04 at a glance Portfolio Budget Statement targets • Relationships built with key partners for improving outcomes for Indigenous • ORAC’s Portfolio Budget Statement peoples, including the larger targets in 2003–04, including meeting the Commonwealth and state agencies involved Minister’s requirements in good time, all with Indigenous-specific and mainstream met funding of Indigenous corporations, the • Quantity: exceeded all required measures, Australian Taxation Office, the Australian particularly in training workshop and Securities and Investment Commission, all information days, and examinations state and territory incorporating agencies, (corporate governance audits) of mining bodies, the National Native Title corporations Tribunal and Reconciliation Australia • Quality: improved our clients’ corporate governance by working to improve Accessibility and responsiveness individual corporations, and by working • Over 13,000 calls received on our toll-free on systemic issues, with a strong focus on number preventative measures as well as regulatory • 634 enquiries about corporate governance intervention finalised (up by 159 per cent over three Building relationships and working as years) part of ‘connected up’ government • 131 complaints about corporate governance and dispute alerts finalised (up by • Forums conducted on good corporate 22 per cent since the previous year) governance training and on managing risk presented by Indigenous corporations, for • Redesigned ORAC website, that provides a range of stakeholders in both government more comprehensive and relevant and private sectors information with easier retrieval, and some web access to the Public Register of • Work done with a range of stakeholders Indigenous Corporations in both government and private sectors to manage and treat risks associated with • Improved communication with remote individual corporations and to deliver communities through expanded field work solutions to systemic problems and language initiatives, and better tailored information sessions and training • Improved sharing of unique and critical information held by ORAC, through an • Case coordination and place management enhanced ORAC website and expanded trialling, to support more tailored and electronic access to the Public Register of seamless services and better treatment of Indigenous Corporations systemic issues Our Performance 3 Pre-incorporation, incorporation and post- resulting in only seven corporations being incorporation assistance placed under administration (the peak was 17, in 1998–99) • Emphasis on incorporation only when necessary and responsible—new • Reduction in liquidations in progress, from incorporations down to 134 (down by 27 44 to 34 (down by 23 per cent) per cent from the previous year) Information and training • Increase in enquiries for information, support and referral (up by 159 per cent • Development of an expanded and high- over three years) quality suite of information and training products, to meet the diverse and great • Increase in assistance with complaints needs of Indigenous peoples associated about corporate governance and dispute with corporations resolution (up by 10 per cent over three years) • 56 non-accredited information and training workshop days delivered (up by • More services for improving corporate 21 per cent) design including constitutions, and generally a greater focus on preventive • Certificate IV in Business (Governance) measures conducted in several parts of Queensland • Pilot for Certificate IV in remote regions Monitoring, examination and regulation conducted at Maningrida, with plans for • 10 per cent improvement in full and evaluation and roll out in 2005 to other partial compliance (that is, submitting all remote areas reports or the three most critical reports) by • Planning to deliver diploma level courses in corporations under the ACA Act 2004–05 • More flexible approach to compliance with Modernising the Aboriginal Councils and reporting requirements under the ACA Act Associations Act 1976 for smaller low-risk corporations, to support small business • Reform of the ACA Act, announced by • Larger non-compliant corporations targeted the Minister in January 2004, following for regulation, including examinations a review which found that a modernised (corporate governance audits, which are Indigenous-specific act for Indigenous up by 64 per cent) and deregistrations of corporations was required corporations (up by 143 per cent) • Bill being drafted for consideration by • Stronger emphasis on requiring and Parliament in 2005 supporting corporations to rectify problems, 4 Office of the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations Yearbook 2003–2004 Improving corporate governance • established a network for future collaboration and partnering • New services focusing on better designs and constitutions for corporations, with • Work progressed on a good corporate work on a new model constitution governance policy, guides to good progressed for completion in 2005 constitutions and a new model constitution • Expanded rolling examinations to assess People and systems corporations’ governance ‘health’, which is supported by improved risk analysis of • Focus on building staff skills