Resources and publications

The following submission was made as part of the technical review of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act) 2006 (Cth) (CATSI Act).

In the submission we have supported further investigation of a dedicated chapter in the CATSI Act for RNTBCs (native title corporations) and our main recommendations include:

• Amendments to the CATSI Act to reduce the regulatory and reporting burden to ensure compliance is affordable and manageable
• Amendments to the CATSI Act that facilitate the incorporation of subsidiary corporations
• Increased special regulatory assistance for CATSI Corporations that promote compliance rather than punitive measures
• Specific tailored RNTBC corporate governance training
• Making the unique situation of native title corporations clear in a separate chapter of legislation
• Amendments to the laws around meetings and directors that better reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander law and custom
• Providing culturally appropriate training, information support and resourcing is available for native title corporations
• Ensuring that native title corporations are accountable to the wider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group but have enough discretion to manage the corporation

The following submission is in response to the Closing the Gap Refresh Public Discussion Paper.

In this submission, AIATSIS supports the adoption of a strengths-based approach to the refresh of the COAG Closing the Gap framework. The submission outlines key areas of importance for the refresh. These are  defining 'prosperity' based on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander notions of 'wealth' and freedom, adopting broad and sophisticated definitions of culture, and co-designing targets, measures and analysis with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Further, creating structural changes which are well balanced with community priorities, address blockages, inequalities and inconsistencies in legislation and policy, and ensuring engagement with the Refresh process occurs in a considered and meaningful way.

Checklist to help prepare for large community meetings.

This template can be used to establish a plain English Code of Conduct for board members or your general PBC staff.

This board induction checklist provides a downloadable template for your PBC to formalise the induction process of new board members. It contains suggestions on documents to be included in an induction kit and when and by whom the new board is inducted. 

This fact sheet provides general information for native title compensation under the Native Title Act 1993 (NTA).

This policy statement provides brief information for Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS), which refers to the right of Indigenous peoples to exercise authority over the collection, access, analysis and use of data that pertains to them.

ORIC fact sheet about differences between the CATSI Act and the Corporations Act.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander models of community and regional governance are based on networks of interconnected layers of leaders, groups of people, and land-ownership rights and interests. They are arranged in different ways, depending on what suits the particular community or organisation. 

This fact sheet provides information about Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and best practice for engagement with Traditional Owners. The fact sheet explains what FPIC means and how you can get in contact with PBCs, land councils, registered Aboriginal parties, native title representative bodies and service providers in Australia.

Policy and procedure guide for Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC

This fact sheet on metadata explains what metadata is and why it is important.

In this policy statement, the Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations (the Registrar) provides guidance on when an exemption will be granted and the circumstances in which the Registrar may grant.

AIATSIS is at the forefront of community-led research and projects, and collaborates with numerous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners across the country. In this guide, we outline foundational principles for meaningfully engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The guide is written for non-Indigenous policymakers who have none or limited experience working with Indigenous peoples. It is a starting point for further learning and capability building.

The following submission is in response to the proposed technical amendments to the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (NTA).

In this submission, AIATSIS welcomes changes that further the rights of native title claimants, holders and corporations in the areas of authorisation, agreement-making, governance and decision-making. AIATSIS suggests the amendments are expanded to address structural issues in the native title system.