This audit would assess the effectiveness of the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) in management of non-compliance with the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act).

The Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (the Registrar) is an independent statutory office holder supported by around 40 employees within the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA). ORIC describes its purpose as ‘to register Indigenous groups that want to incorporate or to transfer their registration to operate under the CATSI Act; help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations to run properly—according to their own rules and cultures—and ensure they don’t break the law; and offer support, advice and training to help corporations do the best job for their communities’.

Auditor-General Report No. 3 2017–18 Supporting Good Governance in Indigenous Corporations found that ORIC supported good governance in Indigenous corporations by maintaining public registers; monitoring and enforcing compliance; and providing information, advice and education; but made three recommendations relating to registering Indigenous corporations, dealing with disqualified persons and managing risk. In 2021, the NIAA released a final report of a review into the CATSI Act that recommended enhancements to the regulatory powers available to the Registrar under the Act. An amendment bill to the CATSI Act passed the House of Representatives in 2021 but lapsed at the end of the 46th Parliament. This audit would examine the use of the Registrar’s powers and functions to manage non-compliance with the CATSI Act.