The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Anthony Beven, today noted that all Aboriginal corporations in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands had met their reporting obligations under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) Act 2006 (CATSI Act).
The APY lands are located in the north-west of South Australia and are home to approximately 2500 Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra people. There are 19 community-owned Aboriginal corporations on the APY lands registered under the CATSI Act. They include art centres, stores, community councils and service providers.
Mr Beven said, ‘This is the first time that APY corporations have achieved a reporting compliance rate of 100 per cent and it’s a remarkable achievement for such a remote region.’ This week Mr Beven is working with a number of corporations located in the APY lands’ community of Mimili.
Since February 2010 the Registrar has had a local officer, Caroline Joske, based at Umuwa on the APY lands. Ms Joske has provided governance training and advice, attended corporation meetings, assisted with compliance and helped some organisations transfer to the CATSI Act. Ms Joske will conclude her time on the APY lands on 30 June 2011.
‘The partnership between my office and the Aboriginal corporations on the APY lands has proved to be very successful. We will continue to provide support to these important corporations,’ Mr Beven said.
In March 2011 the Registrar opened a regional office in Alice Springs that will provide regular governance support and advice to Aboriginal corporations across Central Australia, including the APY lands.
Background
All corporations registered under the CATSI Act are required to lodge certain reports with the Registrar depending on their registered size. These can include a general report, financial report and directors’ report.
Reporting compliance has also improved in a number of other regions. Compliance has reached 100 per cent in Victoria and Tasmania and in the regions of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and Port Augusta, South Australia.
5 May 2011
Media contact
Patricia Gibson
(02) 6219 7645
Ref: ORIC MR1011-29