The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Anthony Beven, placed the Kupungarri Aboriginal Corporation under special administration yesterday.
Mr Glen Walker of the Queensland-based firm, Walker Reid, has been appointed as special administrator to help resolve the corporation’s corporate governance issues.
On 2 October 2009 a majority of the corporation’s directors requested that the Registrar place the corporation under special administration after the members failed to settle some longstanding differences of opinion.
Kupungarri Aboriginal Corporation is located about 300 kilometres north-east of Derby in Western Australia at Mount Barnett Station. The corporation looks after the local community and also owns the Mt Barnett roadhouse and Mt Barnett cattle station.
‘Kupungarri has been going through a period of instability and change. The directors have demonstrated a high level of corporate responsibility by asking ORIC to look at the corporation’s rules and processes’, Mr Beven said.
‘The special administration should be wrapped up within approximately six months and will include governance training sessions to help the directors carry out their responsibilities. ORIC will also work with the members to help resolve some of the internal disputes’.
The special administrator can be contacted on (07) 5494 3744, 0408 739 404 or at walkerreid@bigpond.com.
Background
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 for more information.
Contact:
Christa de Jager
02 6219 7645
15 October 2009
ORIC MR0910-11