The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Anthony Beven, has been asked to assist the directors of Diwurruwurru-Jaru* Aboriginal Corporation.
Registered in 1992, the corporation operates the Katherine Language Centre and is funded to promote and maintain Aboriginal languages in the Katherine region of the Northern Territory.
On 11 June 2010, the directors of the corporation wrote to the Registrar requesting the appointment of a special administrator to assist them in resolving corporate governance and operational problems.
Acting on this request, the Registrar today appointed Andrew West from Andrew H West & Associates as special administrator.
‘This is a corporation that provides important cultural services,’ Mr Beven said. ‘It facilitates the maintenance, revitalisation and preservation of 32 languages of the Katherine region, including the endangered Mara language.
‘I am pleased the directors have asked me for help to get the corporation back up and running effectively so these languages can continue to be recorded, protected and shared.
‘The special administrator and ORIC will work closely with the members and other stakeholders to improve the operational and governance frameworks at the Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation.
‘One of the key objectives will be to ensure the corporation is properly resourced to deliver better language maintenance programs,’ he said.
ORIC will also provide corporate governance training for the members before the special administration ends on 31 December 2010.
Mr West can be contacted on 0410 553 784.
Special administration is a special measure under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (the CATSI Act). See the ORIC fact sheet:
Special administrations: what members and directors should know xxx
Sayuri Piper on (02) 6219 7658
18 June 2010
ORIC MR 0910-33