A new law for Indigenous corporations

Intheblack, Jul 2007 by Beacroft, Laura

* organisations In remote areas of Australia, particularly where English is not commonly spoken

* organisations that require greater risk management than other legislative regimes can provide

* organisations that are operating in a sector where many others are incorporated with ORAC, since this provides a common incorporation platform and generates economies in risk management, capacity building and information management

* landholding and native title corporations that operate in a complex environment where ORAC has considerable expertise

* corporations or sectors that will benefit from the opportunities the ACA Act and CATSI Act offer, especially in preventative approaches such as stronger guidance on corporate design and a rolling program of "good governance audits" or examinations and follow up, combined with capacity building.

More information about Indigenous corporations and ORAC, including the ACA Act and the CATSI Act, is available online at www.orac.gov.au or by contacting ORAC on 1800 622 431 . ORAC can also provide information sessions on the CATSI Act and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations more generally.

Laura Beacroft Ia the registrar of Aboriginal corporations, a position established to support flexible Incorporation of Indigenous groups under the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976. A lawyer who has worked In various roles with governments, community and Indigenous sectors over many years, she Is also co-author of Indigenous Legal Issues, with Heather McRae, Garth Nettheim and Luke McNamara