The Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations is an independent statutory office holder appointed by the Minister for Indigenous Australians under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act).
The Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) supports and regulates the corporations that are incorporated under the CATSI Act. It provides a tailored service that responds to the unique governance environment that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups and corporations operate within. ORIC strives to support corporations to hold a standard of corporate governance that underpins their important services and benefits to Indigenous Australians. It offers advice on how to incorporate, delivers training for directors, members and key staff in good corporate governance, makes sure corporations meet their legal obligations, and intervenes when needed.
ORIC’s customer service charter is based on its values which are:
- Independence – The Registrar is independent and apolitical. We are balanced in how we exercise the Registrar’s powers and do so without influence or interference.
- Impartiality – We remain neutral and treat all equally. We apply our policies and processes consistently, and we listen to all perspectives to ensure decisions and actions are free from bias.
- Respect – We show regard for the dignity of Indigenous people, their cultures, views and self-determination. We respect the diversity and worth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations and are committed to high-quality products and services that support them to achieve their purpose.
- Accountability – We are open and transparent in our decision-making and actions, accept responsibility for them, and are responsive to scrutiny.
Our commitment to you
We are committed to:
- treating you with respect and courtesy in our dealings with you
- providing you with professional and quality service at all times
- making consistent decisions, and advising you of our decisions in a timely manner
- communicating with you in plain language
- being openly accountable for our actions
- monitoring and improving our performance in the services we provide you.
The Registrar is focused building a culture of self-regulation, where low risk corporations:
- are trusted and supported to undertake self-assessments
- committed to continuous improvement
- able to implement remedial action when necessary.
To this end, we will provide high-quality, relevant education and training materials to support corporations to build their capability and meet their obligations under the CATSI Act.
Where regulatory action is required, the Registrar’s powers will be used with consistency, reasonableness, and proportionality. We will work with corporations to assist them to overcome challenges, but where the need arises, we will act swiftly to implement more direct regulatory responses.
How you can help us meet our commitment
You can help us fulfil our commitment to you by:
- meeting your responsibilities when dealing with us
- listening to us and understanding when matters are outside of ORIC’s remit so you will need to talk to someone else
- doing what we ask you to in a timely manner
- complying with the CATSI Act and contacting us when it’s not clear what you need to do so we can help you
- being clear about the matter you are raising with us and the outcome you want
- providing us with constructive feedback when we can do better.