Registrar and ACNC continue ties to reduce reporting obligations

The Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) are pleased to announce they have renewed their memorandum of understanding (MOU).

Both regulators are committed to acting collaboratively to minimise the regulatory burden for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations in complying with reporting and other notification obligations.

A key component of the MOU is a commitment to reporting once, using often. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander charities that are registered with ORIC and report to ORIC are not required to report the same information to the ACNC. Public information reported to ORIC is shared by ORIC with the ACNC to ensure the public databases of both agencies are consistent and up-to-date.

The underlying principle of the arrangement is to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by increasing transparency and coordination between ORIC and ACNC. The coordinated approach also provides a cost saving to the Australian Government by avoiding duplicate data collection and regulatory activity.

The MOU also confirms arrangements between the regulators for referring matters such as complaints and potential breaches of the law, and consulting on statutory activities, training, information services, policy development and legislative amendments.

The arrangement has worked well for both organisations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations over the past five years.

Anthony Beven, Registrar of Indigenous Corporations said, 'We work together to ensure the regulatory environment is appropriate, to lower the costs for corporations in meeting their corporate and charity obligations and to ensure regulatory action is efficient and effective.'

'Our organisations are independent, however by being coordinated and collaborative we are able to minimise unnecessary red tape on registered charities that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations,' added Murray Baird, Acting Commissioner, ACNC.

'The ACNC will continue to work across government, both at the Commonwealth and state and territory level, to reduce red tape for registered charities.'

To see the MOU go to oric.gov.au/publications/mou