The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Mr Anthony Beven, is helping the directors of the Yuendumu Womens Centre Aboriginal Corporation to strengthen their corporate governance.
The directors of the corporation wrote to the Registrar on 18 May 2009 to ask for help to make their corporation stronger. They asked for a special administrator to help them improve corporate governance standards.
The corporation provides a range of important services for women living in and around the Yuendumu community. The Yuendumu community is about 300 km north-west of Alice Springs and has a population of around 700–800 people. The corporation also owns the Nguru Walalja store.
In April 2009 ORIC examined the corporation’s books. Mr Beven said, ‘The examination revealed that the directors had been excluded from important decision making in the corporation.’
‘They want to gain greater control to improve the important services the corporation delivers in Yuendumu. The directors have demonstrated good judgement—they were prepared to ask for help when it was required.’
‘I expect ORIC’s involvement will be for a short period.’ Mr Beven said.
The Nguru Walalja store will continue to trade as normal. The examination showed the store had been trading profitably and there were no concerns about its management or operations.
The Registrar has appointed Ms Belinda Vella, Mr Peter Lanthois and Mr Stephen Duncan to help directors understand their duties and obligations so they can do the best job for their members and community. ORIC will run corporate governance training in Yuendumu this year for all interested members and directors.
Special administration is a special measure under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006. See ORIC’s fact sheet Special administrations: what members and directors should know xxx for more information.
The special administrators can be contacted on (08) 8212 6322.
Contact:
Lisa Donnelly
02 6219 7611
21 May 2009
ORIC MR0809–22