Register a new corporation
We are responsible for:
- assessing applications to incorporate under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act)
- registering the corporation on the Register of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations
Once this happens the organisation becomes ‘incorporated’ and has certain responsibilities and obligations.
It’s free to apply and register a corporation and we’ll help you along the way.
Before you begin, check your eligibility to start a corporation.
When you’re ready to register, apply through the online portal.
Steps to register a corporation
Follow these steps to make sure you have everything you need to lodge your application.
- Decide who will be involved
- Prepare your rule book
- Hold a pre-incorporation meeting
- Lodge your application
Step 1: Decide who will be involved
Members
A corporation must have at least 5 members. You can apply for an exemption to have less than 5 (for example, as a sole trader).
These are the rules for members under the CATSI Act:
- All must be at least 15 years old
- Most members must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Members must give their consent in writing.
You can add your own rules to your rule book about membership. For example, that members live in a particular Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community.
To seek consent, use a membership application form. You must keep a copy of this consent.
Record your list of members in a register of members and former members. You can use our template or create your own. The template contains instructions on how to use it and upload the list to our website.
You must provide an updated list of members to us at least once a year.
Directors, secretaries and contact people
The corporation must have at least 3 directors (12 directors at most). You can apply for an exemption to have more or fewer directors.
Under the CATSI Act directors must:
- be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- be members of the corporation
- not be employees of the corporation
- usually live in Australia.
Your rule book can make some adjustments to these rules, such as:
- having directors who aren’t members
- having non-Indigenous directors (but you must still have a majority of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander directors).
Large corporations must have a secretary.
Small and medium corporations have a contact person.
Step 2: Prepare your rule book
Your corporation rule book guides how the corporation operates.
Every corporation must have one. It must be agreed on by your members.
The rule book is an agreement between members and directors about how the corporation will run. Some rules come from the CATSI Act and some you can write yourself.
Find templates and more information to create your rule book.
Step 3: Meet the pre-incorporation requirement
Before you become incorporated, you must show that at least 75% of people who will become members have agreed:
- to apply for registration
- to approve the rule book
- that all replaceable rules from the CATSI Act (and which aren’t covered in your rule book) will apply to the corporation
- who the directors will be
- who the contact person or secretary will be.
When you give us evidence, it could be as:
- a document listing the above points that is signed by at least 75% of the proposed members
- minutes from a pre-incorporation meeting with details of the resolution and a declaration from the chairperson that it was passed by at least 75% of the votes.
Find out more about resolutions and meeting minutes.
Step 4: Lodge your application
Gather everything you need and get ready to upload:
- your proposed rule book
- a list of members
- information about your directors and contact person or secretary
- evidence you've met the pre-incorporation requirement
- any requests for an exemption.
We may also ask for evidence that your corporation will meet the Indigeneity requirement.
Lodge your application online.
We’ll check your application and:
- make sure it and any exemptions are complete
- write and ask for any missing information
- check the proposed rule book complies with the CATSI Act
- send you a certificate of registration, which has your Indigenous Corporation Number (ICN) on it
- send you the approved rule book
- publish details of your corporation on the Register of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations.
Find out more about what you need to do after your corporation is registered.
Pre-incorporation workshops
We offer workshops for:
- groups who want to register
- existing corporations wanting to transfer registration or combine.
These workshops can help you identify issues that could affect your application.
Find out about what training ORIC offers.
