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/about_ORICPrintable Version

About the Registrar and ORIC

Contents

The Registrar

The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations is an independent statutory office holder appointed by the Minister for Indigenous Affairs under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act). Mr Anthony Beven was appointed to the position for a term of three years on 1 October 2007.

Interview—Improving governance in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations

The new Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Anthony Beven, outlines his priorities for the next 18 months, emphasising a continuing strong focus on assisting corporations to improve their governance standards and transition to the CATSI Act.

For the full interview see the attached file Interview with Registrar—Feb 2008 [4 pages, PDF, 138Kb]

The role of the Registrar

As an independent statutory office holder responsible for the administration of the CATSI Act, the Registrar has powers to intervene that are similar to those exercised by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). (See Summary of Registrar’s powers).

As a statutory office holder, the Registrar is not under direction for decisions made under the CATSI Act. However, the Registrar is subject to performance management and review as part of an Australian Workplace Agreement with a Deputy Secretary of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). To participate in decisions on administrative matters affecting ORIC, the Registrar is a member of the FaHCSIA Corporate Leadership Group. Various arrangements, including an in principle agreement, are in place to enable ORIC and FaHCSIA to manage possible conflicts of interest.

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ORIC

Our name has changed. We are now called the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC). We are required to change our name under the new CATSI Act which started on 1 July 2007.

ORIC has been set up to help the Registrar administer the CATSI Act and to support and regulate corporations for Indigenous people throughout Australia. ORIC also provides an avenue for new incorporations, delivering a tailored service that responds to the special needs of Indigenous groups and corporations, and striving for national and international best practice in corporate governance.

Our purpose

Our purpose is to effectively administer the CATSI Act, which requires us to:

• register Indigenous groups that want to become corporations
• help Indigenous corporations run properly, according to their own rules and cultures, and to make sure they don't break the law
• offer support, advice and training to help Indigenous corporations do the best job for their communities

in a manner consistent with principles of sound corporate governance and in the context of current and emerging Australian and international law and practice on good corporate governance.

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Our vision

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people securing strong and viable futures through good governance of their corporations.

Our key clients

We are focused on serving:

• Indigenous individuals, groups and corporations
• people accessing the public registers under the CATSI Act—Public Register of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations, and Register of Disqualifed Directors
• the minister and agencies supporting the minister
• the Australian Government and state and territory governments
• agencies with interests in funds and/or assets controlled by Indigenous corporations
• other agencies regulating the Indigenous corporate sector
• Indigenous peak bodies in critical sectors such as medical, housing, land holding and legal.

See a profile of corporations currently incorporated under the CATSI Act.

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Corporate plan

ORIC has a three-year corporate plan in place until the end of 2007. It establishes ORIC's performance priority as providing quality services in line with our statutory functions. By the end of 2007, ORIC will be ready to update its corporate plan, in line with the CATSI Act.

The corporate plan outlines our role and vision. It also sets out:

• our corporate direction
• our client focus
• our approach to regulation and intervention
• our commitment to information and training
• our strategies to deliver ORIC services
• the achievements we seek by the end of 2007.

Electronic versions of ORIC's corporate plan are available for download from our publications page.

Portfolio agency

Following the changes announced by the Prime Minister on 24 January 2006, ORAC (as it was called at the time) and the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination (OIPC) became part of the new Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) portfolio, formerly the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS). This new department was formed on 27 January 2006. It is now called the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).

ORIC was previously part of the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA). It was transferred to DIMIA on 1 July 2004 after the Australian Government’s decision to abolish both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services (ATSIS) and distribute their programs and services to mainstream Australian Government agencies.

Budget

• For details about the Budget go to Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

 

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Page updated: 01 May 08

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