The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Anthony Beven, has today placed the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Services Aboriginal Corporation under special administration.
Messrs Stephen Duncan and Peter Lanthois of the Adelaide based firm KordaMentha have been appointed as joint special administrators.
The corporation provides services and infrastructure on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in South Australia. This includes essential municipal services such as water and power supply, drilling and bore maintenance, collection of rubbish, construction and maintenance of sewerage systems, roads, aerodromes and other infrastructure. It was established in 1993 and has an office in Alice Springs, Northern Territory.
An examination of the corporation’s books was completed in December 2008. The examination report identified several breaches of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 and the rules of the corporation. The report also contained comments about the corporation’s operational and financial management, including that the corporation had been trading at a loss for a period of time.
In the lead up to the examination, the Registrar had monitored a dispute between two factions of the membership. The dispute related to the composition of the board of directors.
‘The corporation delivers vital services on the APY lands and the appointment was needed to ensure that these services are not disrupted,’ Mr Beven said.
‘This is a significant Aboriginal organisation particularly for Anangu and the special administration will address some current problems before handing it back to members.’
The special administrator will put measures in place to address the corporation’s current trading position. He will also work closely with the members, employees and other stakeholders to improve operational efficiency and service delivery standards. During the special administration period the Registrar’s office will also offer governance training for the members of the corporation.
The special administrators can be contacted on (08) 8212 6322, 0418 847 551 (Stephen Duncan) or 0407 258 959 (Peter Lanthois).
Contact:
Lisa Donnelly
02 6219 7611
16 February 2009
ORIC MR0809–18