Resources and publications

Factsheet about having independent directors on the board.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors is committed to excellence in governance. They are involved in governance education, director development and advocacy. They have a membership of more than 40,000 including directors and senior leaders from business, government and the not-for-profit sectors. Their website contains a range of resources for directors as well as information about training courses.

Outlining the roles and responsibilities of directors and officers for corporations under the CATSI Act.

This evaluation report identifies experiences, motivations, supporting mechanisms, barriers and impacts of fee-for-service commercial activities undertaken by Indigenous Land and Water Management (ILWM) organisations. The report draws on a literature review, interviews with ILWM organisations, administrative data, in-depth case studies, and online survey data.

While gender and age are often noted as being important dimensions of Indigenous leadership and governance, they have rarely been examined in detail. This paper focuses specifically on the gender and age of directors on the boards of prescribed bodies corporate (PBCs), the corporations established to hold and/or manage native title rights and interests.

A predominant view persists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women as excluded or marginalised in native title. Statistical data for the year 2011–12 reveals, however, that women’s representation on PBC boards is higher than that found in mainstream sectors, while the literature reveals a complex picture of cultural, historical, demographic, institutional and intercultural factors that influence men’s and women’s participation and power in the native title arena.

A key generational concern is the relatively low number of older people and the growing number of young people in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Viewed in relation to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population and projected changes, the pool of potential PBC directors looks likely to grow in coming years. This paper argues that, as an increasingly significant sector, PBCs have the potential to both contribute to and benefit from the strengthening of community capacity but this potential will not be realised until the constraints on the capacity of PBCs to meet their statutory obligations and pursue native title holder aspirations are addressed.

This guidebook provides information on how to select independent directors for the Aboriginal boardroom. 

Independent Directory connects skilled and interested people looking to become an independent director with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations looking to appoint the right independent directors to their boards. It is a free service that allows: *Individuals to register an interest in being an independent director, identifying their experience and skills. *Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations to promote board vacancies. The service finds matches and allows candidates and corporations to initiate contact with each other. Candidates and corporations are in control of how much detail they reveal about themselves to the public and what they show only to their connections.

In 2017 the APONT Aboriginal Governance & Management Program facilitated a NT-wide forum for senior managers and board members of NT Aboriginal organisations, bringing them together to network and share stories to strengthen and build their capacity in management and governance. This report provides an overview of the presentations from this forum.

Policy and procedure guide for Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC

This guidebook provides information about how a board member in a non-profit or voluntary organization manages conflict. 

Outlines the treatment of income tax under native title agreements

This native title newsletter provides an overview of PBCs' pricing structure. 

ORIC newsletter about the role of directors.

ORIC newsletter about the separation of roles in a corporation.

ORIC newsletter about choosing directors for the board.

This Discussion Paper explains how native title decisions and decisions to make a compensation application are to be made by Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) and explains the decision-making processes available to PBCs and common law holders. It also includes information on when PBCs can charge fees for their services.

An outline of some of the legal issues surrounding PBCs charging fees for service and what PBCs can and cannot charge fees for.

This policy statement provides guidance on how the Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations (the Registrar) deals with requests for an opinion as to whether a fee charged by a registered native title body corporate (RNTBC) to a third party for certain native title functions is one that can be charged.

Taungurung Land and Waters Council and AIATSIS collaboratively produced a decision-making guide for Taungurung people to use in governance.

The guide contains practical information on:

• Compliance and legal requirements
• Decision-making models
• Separation of powers
• Conflicts of interest
• Subsidiarity
• Cultural governance

The guide is of practical use for Taungurung Land and Waters Council in governance, assisting communication and engagement, inducting new board members, and managing disagreements about procedures and policies.

It will also be of interest to other Indigenous corporations that are working on their own decision-making structures, processes and models, particularly native title Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) and other traditional owner corporations.