The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Anthony Beven, has today placed the Ngarlan Store Indigenous Corporation under special administration for six months.
The corporation owns and operates the community store in Beagle Bay on the Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia, about 125 kilometres north of Broome. The Beagle Bay community has grown quickly since the 1970s and is today one of the larger Aboriginal communities in the area. Its population is approximately 285.
Through its community store the corporation provides an important service to the local people and those from the surrounding outstations. The store is the only retail food outlet in the community and sells healthy and affordable food, essential household items, and a range of white goods. It also provides a take-away service.
The directors of the corporation wrote to the Registrar requesting assistance after becoming increasingly concerned about the store’s financial performance over recent months.
‘I am pleased the directors came to me for help before services to the people of Beagle Bay were affected,’ said Mr Beven. ‘It is of the utmost importance that the food supply to the community is not affected.’
Prior to requesting assistance from the Registrar the directors of the corporation appointed Outback Stores to manage the store on a relief basis for three months. Outback Stores will continue to manage the store during the special administration and will introduce changes to make the store stronger.
The Registrar has appointed Mr Austin Taylor and Mr Stuart Reid from the firm of Meertens Administration Pty Ltd, South Australia, as the joint and several special administrators.
Background
Special administration is a special measure under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 which helps corporations to fix their own problems. The aim of the process is to restore a corporation to good health and once this is achieved to return control to members as soon as possible. For more information please see ORIC’s fact sheet Special administrations: what members and directors should know available at www.oric.gov.au.
Media contact
Patricia Gibson
(02) 6146 4743
ORIC MR1314-14
18 November 2013
Special administrators
Meertens Administration Pty Ltd
Austin Taylor (08) 8418 8900 or 0417 806 532
Stuart Reid (08) 8941 3122 or 0416 248 104