Powerful Aboriginal land council needs shakeup, report finds
Tara Ravens
AAP
The internal workings of one of Australia's most powerful Aboriginal land councils has been called into question by a government inquiry that has identified a need for "clear management".
Claims the Northern Land Council (NLC) was plagued by in-fighting and facing a massive budget deficit prompted the federal government to announce the probe in March last year.
The Commonwealth Office of Evaluation and Audit (OEA) spent nine months investigating the NLC's financial dealings, as well as the relationships between its senior management and the elected executive.
In federal parliament on Wednesday it tabled 11 recommendations, nine of which have been "accepted or partially accepted" by the NLC.
Among them was that the NLC "re-establish the authority and leadership of the CEO" and improve its "internal culture and relationships".
It also suggested the NLC review its approach to managing people.
The report suggests federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin work with the NLC to appoint an independent person with general management, financial and corporate board expertise.
"We look forward to working with the NLC on improvements to the effectiveness of its administration and management," Ms Macklin said in a joint statement with Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner on Thursday.
The NLC was established in 1973 to represent traditional Aboriginal landowners and Aboriginal people in the Top End of the NT.
It's responsible for negotiating royalty deals with mining companies worth tens of millions of dollars.
But it was reported in the media last year that it had a $2 million budget deficit and suffered from a culture of bullying and harassment.
"The NLC had undergone a period of instability and alleged conflict at senior staffing levels," the report said.
"Insurance claims had been lodged by staff members for work-related stress and the NLC had been involved in legal action."
In November 2007, the NLC's longest serving chief executive Norman Fry was forced to deny he had been pushed out after 11 years in the job.
At the time, Mr Fry said he didn't know whether traditional Aboriginal landowners had lost faith in the organisation's leadership.
Included in the report was the NLC's response to the recommendations.
"The purpose of the executive council's actions in November 2007 was to resolve existing concerns and to implement positive change at the NLC, including through a pre-existing structural review and through improved relationships," the NLC said.
The council most recently came under fire for backing a controversial nuclear waste dump on Aboriginal land at Muckaty Station near Tennant Creek.
Claims the Northern Land Council (NLC) was plagued by in-fighting and facing a massive budget deficit prompted the federal government to announce the probe in March last year.
The Commonwealth Office of Evaluation and Audit (OEA) spent nine months investigating the NLC's financial dealings, as well as the relationships between its senior management and the elected executive.
In federal parliament on Wednesday it tabled 11 recommendations, nine of which have been "accepted or partially accepted" by the NLC.
Among them was that the NLC "re-establish the authority and leadership of the CEO" and improve its "internal culture and relationships".
It also suggested the NLC review its approach to managing people.
The report suggests federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin work with the NLC to appoint an independent person with general management, financial and corporate board expertise.
"We look forward to working with the NLC on improvements to the effectiveness of its administration and management," Ms Macklin said in a joint statement with Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner on Thursday.
The NLC was established in 1973 to represent traditional Aboriginal landowners and Aboriginal people in the Top End of the NT.
It's responsible for negotiating royalty deals with mining companies worth tens of millions of dollars.
But it was reported in the media last year that it had a $2 million budget deficit and suffered from a culture of bullying and harassment.
"The NLC had undergone a period of instability and alleged conflict at senior staffing levels," the report said.
"Insurance claims had been lodged by staff members for work-related stress and the NLC had been involved in legal action."
In November 2007, the NLC's longest serving chief executive Norman Fry was forced to deny he had been pushed out after 11 years in the job.
At the time, Mr Fry said he didn't know whether traditional Aboriginal landowners had lost faith in the organisation's leadership.
Included in the report was the NLC's response to the recommendations.
"The purpose of the executive council's actions in November 2007 was to resolve existing concerns and to implement positive change at the NLC, including through a pre-existing structural review and through improved relationships," the NLC said.
The council most recently came under fire for backing a controversial nuclear waste dump on Aboriginal land at Muckaty Station near Tennant Creek.