The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Selwyn Button, has ended the practice of by-default publishing of all corporation members’ addresses on the ORIC website. Members’ addresses will no longer appear in corporation extracts; applications to register; lists of members; or general reports. The change also applies retrospectively, to all documents previously published.
The move comes as a result of consultations during 2017 and 2018 about reforms to the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act). Mr Button said ‘Members told us in no uncertain terms that they dislike having their address published on our website. And while there is a statutory obligation to include that information on the public record, it need not be instantly accesssible to all and sundry.’
Members’ addresses remain part of the official public register. Under the CATSI Act, a member of the public has the right to inspect all information or documents that are part of public registers (except exempt documents). So the current shift maintains that right of access, but requires people to make a formal request for it. Mr Button added, ‘Members can also be assured that we will consider privacy concerns before providing any document for inspection.
For more information, please see Policy Statement 12: Registers and use and disclosure of information held by the Registrar.
Media contact
Lisa Hugg
0477 762 290
ORIC MR1920-06
24 October 2019