Special administration start - First People of the Millewa-Mallee Aboriginal Corporation
The Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations, Ms Tricia Stroud, has placed the First People of the Millewa-Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (ICN 8264) under special administration.
After an examination of the corporation’s books the Registrar considered there were grounds to appoint a special administrator. But deferred this decision by giving the corporation an opportunity to rectify the issues outlined in a compliance notice under subsection 439-20(3) of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.
The compliance notice was issued on 12 March 2024. It raised concerns about the corporation’s standard of corporate governance and financial management; and required the directors to implement 6 action items over a period of 3 months. The corporation was provided an extension of time to meet the requirements of the notice. Despite the extension of time, the corporation managed to address just one of 6 action items.
In addition to the directors’ failure to meet the requirements of the compliance notice, the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations considered further evidence received that unresolved disputes were interfering in the proper affairs of the corporation.
The corporation’s failure to address problems in the compliance notice, and signs of increasing risk to the corporation being able to govern itself effectively led the Registrar to issue a notice to show cause on 19 November 2024 as to why a special administrator should not be appointed.
The corporation was provided a period of time to respond to the concerns raised within the show cause notice. Having assessed the corporation’s response, the Registrar has determined there are clear grounds for the appointment of a special administrator.
The Registrar has today appointed Mr Jack James and Mrs Paula Smith from Rodgers Reidy (WA) Pty Ltd as the joint and several special administrators. Their appointment is until 20 June 2025. All board positions have been vacated and the special administrators will conduct the affairs of the corporation.
Background
First People of the Millewa-Mallee Aboriginal Corporation is based in Mildura, Victoria. Its key purpose is to represent the rights and interests of First Peoples of the Millewa-Mallee. It is a Registered Aboriginal Party under the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, recognising it as the guardian, keeper and knowledge holder of Aboriginal cultural heritage on Aboriginal places and objects in their region. Their Country is in the north-west of Victoria, running south of the Murray River to the Mallee Highway, and west from the Calder Highway to the South Australian border, including the Murray-Sunset National Park.