Aboriginal health service returned with stronger community control

The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Ms Tricia Stroud, has today announced the end of the special administration of Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service (WACHS).

WACHS has been under special administration since 20 September 2021, following a request from most board members. The board had been alerted to serious financial discrepancies internally, which prompted it to commission an independent investigation. Extensive investigations identified fraudulent transactions over several years, dating back to 2016. As a result, the corporation’s new auditor issued a disclaimer of opinion for the 2020–21 financial statements. Since then, the special administrators and new senior management team have moved to mitigate the risk of further financial irregularities, increasing transparency and accountability within the corporation.

‘Despite the unfortunate events in WACHS’ recent history, I am pleased to say that the corporation is financially viable and retains the support of its funding bodies’, Ms Stroud said. ‘There was no disruption to medical and wellbeing services during the special administration—and significantly, a governance and operational structure is now in place that represents WACHS’ service footprint’.

WACHS provides health care services for Aboriginal people across a large area of New South Wales, including Wellington, Dubbo, Moree and Greater Western Sydney. Before the special administration, community members in Moree and Greater Western Sydney were unrepresented in the membership and board. Going forward, the membership of WACHS will consist of 3 regions—Wellington, Greater Western Sydney and Moree—each represented by a regional advisory committee. Three members of each advisory committee are then appointed to the board of WACHS, providing equal representation for all regions.

Ms Stroud says ‘This model is a significant step forward for community members in Moree and Greater Western Sydney who have a strong desire for localised community control. Before the special administration, WACHS had no executive management staff in Greater Western Sydney. Now, a newly appointed Deputy CEO is permanently located in Greater Western Sydney. Further, the restructure of the executive management team is forecast to save WACHS $1.5 million a year’.

Background

See also the registrar’s previous media releases:

Governance in action at Wellington Health Service—20 September 2021 (MR2122-04)
Wellington health service special administration extended—25 March 2022 (MR2122-11)
 

MR2122-13