The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Anthony Beven, today announced the end of a successful special administration at Mitakoodi Aboriginal Corporation.
Located in Cloncurry, near Mount Isa in Queensland, Mitakoodi has for 30 years provided affordable housing for Aboriginal people in the local area. It owns 68 houses and three commercial properties and is one of the largest property owners in Cloncurry.
Mr Glen Walker from the Queensland-based firm of Walker Reid has been the special administrator at the corporation for the past five months. An examination by the Registrar of the corporation’s books in April 2011 revealed poor management and inadequate record keeping.
‘I am very pleased Mr Walker has been able to restore proper administrative practices, bring rigour to the financial reporting systems, and place the housing portfolio under effective independent management,’ said Mr Beven. ‘These actions have reinvigorated the corporation and restored its capacity to provide quality services to members and a better standard of housing to tenants.’
Some of the main achievements of the special administration include a comprehensive review of the corporation’s properties, implementing a schedule of repairs and maintenance for the houses, and outsourcing property management to a local property management company. The corporation’s financial records have also been brought up to date and a bookkeeper employed.
Housing tenants are already noticing the improvements. ‘One tenant spoke about how great it was to have a working oven in his home for the first time in several years,’ said Mr Beven. ‘Making sure houses are in good condition and that basic facilities are in place is an important part of managing a housing corporation.’
At the annual general meeting on 1 December 2011 the members elected the following people as the new directors of the corporation:
Ms Kay Douglas
Ms Joan Alexander
Ms Joan Connery
Ms Margaret Sendon
Ms Deborah Cusack
Background: Special administration is a special measure under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 which helps corporations to fix their problems. The aim of the process is to restore a corporation to good health and once achieved to return control to its members as soon as possible. For more information please see ORIC’s fact sheet Special administrations: what members and directors should know at www.oric.gov.au.
9 December 2011
Media contact
Patricia Gibson
0427 259 789
Ref: ORIC MR1112-14
Special administrator
Glen Walker
(07) 5494 3744
walkerreid@bigpond.com