Yesterday the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Selwyn Button, extended the special administration of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association (Aboriginal Corporation) RNTBC (ATLA) until 25 September 2020.
ATLA represents Adnyamathanha people in all matters relating to land, culture, heritage and language. It also manages Adnyamathanha people’s native title rights and interests in 41,000 square kilometres of land in and around the Flinders Ranges. The corporation’s concerns include national parks, Indigenous land use agreements and mining negotiations.
ATLA was placed under special administration on 26 March 2020 to address chronic and severe problems of record keeping in relation to meetings, memberships, directorships and spending. Some of the issues are yet to be resolved.
Mr Button said ‘The special administrators have made significant progress, but ATLA is not yet ready to be handed back to the members. The structure of the corporation needs an overhaul to ensure that it best serves the Adnyamathanha people—and given the scale and complexity of the operation, that’s a substantial undertaking.’
The special administrators have established an advisory committee with a range of skills and qualifications including business and native title experience. The challenges facing ATLA are being addressed through weekly meetings between the special administrators and the committee.
The Registrar has extended the appointment of Mr Bevan Mailman and Mr Brian Bero from Jaramer Legal as special administrators until 25 September 2020.
Background
See also the Registrar’s previous media release, Adnyamathanha people’s corporation in need of overhaul, 26 March 2020.