Two days after the NSW Aboriginal Affairs Minister Victor Dominello arrived in Wellington to talk with Aboriginal stakeholders, there were serious questions being raised by a delegate to the Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission over the affairs of the Wellington Valley Wiradjuri Aboriginal Corporation.
The delegate Peter Armstrong handed findings of an examination into the corporation delivering the information in a letter first to corporation then to the media and the Registrar’s website.
The Registrar has now asked the Wellington Valley Wiradjuri Corporation to call a meeting of its directive to resolve issues.
Mr Armstrong’s detailed announcement came after an extensive examination by an accounting firm Scolari Comerford in November following an earlier notice to the corporation that it would look into the its books.
“I suspect on reasonable grounds that there are irregularities in the affairs of the corporation namely: Contrary to Act, the corporation does not keep proper records that record and explain its transactions,” the Registrar said following the delivery of the report to the Wellington Valley Wiradjuri Aboriginal Corporation.
According to his report a number of cheque remittances were not signed, adequate records were not maintained for determining payments to persons undertaking survey work because the persons who undertook the work did not complete timesheets.
The Registrar also said in his compliance notice that a majority of payments made out of corporation money were approved by the directors, however some payments were approved after the cheque had been presented.
His findings revealed that the corporation incorrectly charged GST on some invoices however the examiners noted that the dollar amount was immaterial.
The Registrar on the Oric website makes details of their findings and examinations on its website regularly and in some cases have put administrators into not complying corporations however no such announcement has made but he has asked for the Wellington Valley Corporation to comply with several directives.
“The directors of the corporation have not always acted with full care and diligence as evidenced by the instances of non-compliance ’’ these are in relation to its Annual General meeting. The registrar pointed out
The report also says ‘’Contrary to the Act, a quorum was not present at the directors’ meeting held on 17 September 2011.’’
The examiners reported to the Registrar that:
The minutes of the directors’ meeting held on 17 September 2011 record that two directors (Mr. Stephen Parkes and Mr. John Riley) were present at this meeting. Mr. Wayne Carr and Mr. Herbert Smith were noted as absent at this meeting.
The Registrar also put the Wellington Valley on Notice saying ‘’ Contrary persons not appointed as directors of the corporation have attended directors’ meetings and participated in the proceedings and resolutions of the meeting. ‘’
The examiners reported that the minutes of the directors’ meeting held on 17 September 2011 record that:
Ms Joyce Williams ‘moved’ a motion and ‘seconded’ a motion. Ms Williams is not a director of the corporation
The examiners also reported that the minutes of the directors’ meeting held on 10 July 2011 record that:
Ms Williams ‘moved’ a motion. Ms Williams is not a director of the corporation
The registrar has asked the corporation to ‘’Within 30 days of the date of this notice convene a meeting of directors to pass the following resolution:
“The directors have read the notice and acknowledge it contents. The directors undertake to do all things necessary to ensure that in future the corporation is governed strictly in accordance with the Act and the rules of the corporation.” The report said.
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