Arthur Hyde looks after the greater Western Australia region from the Perth office. Here, he shares a story of a strong corporation that turned a challenge into an opportunity.
Arthur Hyde, regional manager
Yorgum Aboriginal Corporation is a large corporation that provides a range of family support services to clients in Perth and country areas of Western Australia. Since its registration in 1993, Yorgum has grown and continues to strive to deliver culturally appropriate healing services. Funded by both Commonwealth and state governments, its therapeutic healing programs support the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In August 2016 ORIC looked into the corporation as part of its rolling examination program. A number of compliance issues were identified. In response, the corporation was very cooperative. With Arthur on hand for clarification and support, they worked through each issue and achieved full compliance.
As part of an initiative to improve its corporate governance, the corporation also committed to reviewing its rule book. With assistance from Arthur, it effectively undertook a thorough review of the corporation’s rules.
Yorgum’s board of directors and management team have subsequently turned their attention to increasing public confidence in the corporation, by strengthening the corporation’s governance and accountability.
The CEO commented that ‘ORIC’s checklist for healthy corporations is a very valuable resource that provided the directors with all the information they required’.
Arthur commented that ‘Yorgum AC has put a lot of work into getting their rule book and their governance process to where they want the corporation to be. There is now a greater understanding of the importance of strong governance, including the contractual nature of their rule book and the relationship between the corporation, its directors and members.’