Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006

In force

Administered by

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Superseded version

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C2025C00652 C04

20 February 2010 - 28 February 2010

Table of contents

Chapter 1—Introduction
Part 1-1—Preliminary
- Division 1—Preliminary
Part 1-2—Overview of Act
- Division 6—Overview of Act
Chapter 2—Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
Part 2-1—Introduction
- Division 16—Introduction
  - 16-1 What this Chapter is about
  - 16-5 Meaning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
Part 2-2—Applications for registration of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
- Division 21—Application for new registration of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
- Division 22—Application to register existing body corporate under Part 2-3
- Division 23—Application to register amalgamated corporation under Part 2-3
Part 2-3—Decisions on applications
- Division 26—Registrar to decide application
- Division 29—What are the basic requirements for registration?
- Division 32—Decisions on applications
  - 32-1 Successful applications
  - 32-5 Unsuccessful applications
Part 2-4—Registration of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation as a small, medium or large corporation
- Division 37—Registration of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation as a small, medium or large corporation
Part 2-5—Effects of registration
- Division 42—Effects of registration
Part 2-6—Arrangements and reconstructions
- Division 45—Application of Corporations Act arrangements and reconstructions provisions
  - 45-1 Applying Corporations Act arrangements and reconstructions provisions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
Chapter 3—Basic features of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
Part 3-1—Introduction
- Division 52—Introduction
  - 52-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 3-2—Rules dealing with the internal governance of corporations
- Division 57—Introduction
  - 57-1 What this Part is about
  - 57-5 List of internal governance rules
- Division 60—What are the replaceable rules and when do they apply to a corporation?
- Division 63—What are the internal governance rules of a corporation?
  - 63-1 Meaning of internal governance rules
- Division 66—What are the internal governance rules requirements?
  - 66-1 Requirements
  - 66-5 Meaning of cover the matters provided for in the replaceable rules
- Division 69—Constitutions and amendment and replacement of constitutions
  - Subdivision 69-A—Constitution on registration
    - 69-1 Constitution of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
  - Subdivision 69-B—Constitutional changes after registration
- Division 72—Other matters concerning constitutions etc.
Part 3-3—Minimum number of members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
- Division 77—Minimum number of members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
Part 3-4—Names
- Division 82—Introduction
  - 82-1 What this Part is about
- Division 85—What names may a corporation have?
- Division 88—How is a corporation’s name changed?
Part 3-5—Corporation powers and how they are exercised
- Division 93—Introduction
  - 93-1 What this Part is about
- Division 96—What are a corporation’s powers?
  - 96-1 Legal capacity and powers
- Division 99—How are a corporation’s powers exercised?
  - 99-1 Agent exercising a corporation’s power to make contracts etc.
  - 99-5 Execution of documents (including deeds) by the corporation itself
Part 3-6—Assumptions people dealing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations are entitled to make
- Division 104—Assumptions people dealing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations are entitled to make
Part 3-7—Registered office or document access address
- Division 109—Introduction
  - 109-1 What this Part is about
- Division 112—Registered office
- Division 115—Document access address
Part 3-8—Service on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
- Division 120—Service on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
  - 120-1 Service on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
Chapter 4—Members and observers
Part 4-1—Introduction
- Division 130—Introduction
  - 130-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 4-2—Members
- Division 135—Introduction
  - 135-1 What this Part is about
- Division 138—Who is a member of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation?
  - 138-1 Meaning of member
- Division 141—Membership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
- Division 144—How to become a member of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
- Division 147—Obligations of members
- Division 150—How does a person cease to be a member of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation?
- Division 153—Can there be different classes of members?
  - 153-1 Different classes of members
Part 4-3—Observers
- Division 158—Observers
  - 158-1 What this Part is about
  - 158-5 Observers
Part 4-4—Protection of members’ interests
- Division 163—Rights and remedies to protect interests of members
  - 163-1 Rights and remedies
- Division 166—Oppressive conduct of affairs
- Division 169—When may a person bring or intervene in proceedings on behalf of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation?
- Division 172—What protections apply to variations or cancellations of class rights?
- Division 175—When may a member inspect a corporation’s books?
Part 4-5—Registers of members and former members
- Division 180—Registers of members and former members
- Division 183—Use of information on the register of members or register of former members
  - 183-1 Use of information on register of members or register of former members
Part 4-6—Exemption from operation of certain provisions of this Chapter
- Division 187—Exemption from operation of certain provisions of this Chapter
Chapter 5—Meetings
Part 5-1—Introduction
- Division 193—Introduction
  - 193-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 5-2—General meetings
- Division 198—Introduction
  - 198-1 What this Part is about
- Division 201—What are the rules concerning general meetings?
- Division 204—Resolutions without a general meeting
  - 204-1 Circulating resolutions
  - 204-5 Resolutions of 1 member corporations
Part 5-3—Directors’ meetings
- Division 209—Introduction
  - 209-1 What this Part is about
- Division 212—What are the rules concerning directors’ meetings?
- Division 215—Resolutions and declarations without meetings
  - 215-1 Circulating resolutions of corporation with more than 1 director (replaceable rule—see section 60-1)
  - 215-5 Resolutions and declarations of 1 director corporation
Part 5-4—Minutes of meetings
- Division 220—Minutes of meetings
Part 5-5—Exemption from operation of this Chapter
- Division 225—Exemption from operation of this Chapter
Chapter 6—Officers
Part 6-1—Introduction
- Division 235—Introduction
  - 235-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 6-2—Appointment, remuneration and cessation of appointment of directors
- Division 240—Introduction
  - 240-1 What this Part is about
- Division 243—Number of directors
  - 243-1 Minimum number of directors
  - 243-5 Maximum number of directors
- Division 246—Appointment of directors
- Division 249—Resignation, retirement or removal of directors
- Division 252—Remuneration of directors
  - 252-1 Remuneration
  - 252-5 Members may obtain information about directors’ remuneration
Part 6-3—Appointment of secretaries and contact persons
- Division 257—Appointment of secretaries and contact persons
Part 6-4—Duties and powers of directors and other officers and employees
- Division 262—Introduction
  - 262-1 What this Part is about
- Division 265—General duties
- Division 268—Duties in relation to disclosure of, and voting on matters involving, material personal interests
- Division 271—Duty to discharge certain trust liabilities
  - 271-1 Directors liable for debts and other obligations incurred by corporation as trustee
- Division 274—Powers of directors
Part 6-5—Disqualification from managing corporations
- Division 279—Disqualification from managing corporations
Part 6-6—Member approval needed for related party benefit
- Division 284—Need for member approval
- Division 287—Exceptions to the requirement for member approval
- Division 290—Procedure for obtaining member approval
- Division 293—Related parties and financial benefits
  - 293-1 Related parties
  - 293-5 Giving a financial benefit
- Division 296—Interaction with other rules
  - 296-1 General duties still apply
Part 6-7—Public information about directors, secretaries and contact persons
- Division 301—Introduction
  - 301-1 What this Part is about
- Division 304—Information to be provided
- Division 307—Registrar may ask for information
  - 307-1 Registrar’s power to ask for information about person’s position as director, secretary or contact person
Part 6-8—Exemption from operation of certain provisions of this Chapter
- 310-1 What this Part is about
- 310-5 Exemption from certain provisions of this Chapter
- 310-10 Registrar may make determination even if application is incomplete
- 310-15 Registrar’s power to make determinations
- 310-20 Criteria for determinations
Chapter 7—Record keeping, reporting requirements and books
Part 7-1—Introduction
- Division 317—Introduction
  - 317-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 7-2—Record keeping requirements
- Division 322—Record keeping requirements
Part 7-3—Reporting requirements
- Division 327—Overview of reporting obligations
  - 327-1 Reports that an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation must prepare and lodge
- Division 330—General report for each financial year
- Division 333—Financial and other reports required by the regulations
- Division 336—Registrar may increase reporting requirements
  - 336-1 Registrar may require additional report, or otherwise increase reporting requirements, for particular corporation
  - 336-5 Registrar may require additional reports, or otherwise increase reporting requirements, for class of corporation
- Division 339—Audit of financial reports
- Division 342—Financial reporting to members
- Division 345—Consolidated financial report
- Division 348—Lodging reports
  - 348-1 Lodging annual reports with the Registrar
  - 348-5 Relodgment if report amended after lodgment
Part 7-4—Registrar may exempt from record keeping and reporting requirements
- Division 353—Registrar may exempt from record keeping and reporting requirements
Part 7-5—Criteria for determining level of reporting requirements
- Division 358—Criteria for determining level of reporting requirements
Part 7-6—Sanctions for contraventions of record keeping and reporting requirements
- Division 363—Sanctions for contraventions of record keeping and reporting requirements
  - 363-1 Sanctions
Part 7-7—Modifications of record keeping and reporting requirements by regulations
- Division 368—Modifications of record keeping and reporting requirements by regulations
  - 368-1 Modification by regulations
Part 7-8—Books
- Division 373—Introduction
  - 373-1 What this Part is about
- Division 376—When and where may books be inspected?
Chapter 8—Civil consequences of contravening civil penalty provisions
- Division 386—Civil consequences of contravening civil penalty provisions
Chapter 9—Lodgments and registers
Part 9-1—Introduction
- Division 396—Introduction
  - 396-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 9-2—Lodgments with the Registrar
- Division 401—Introduction
  - 401-1 What this Part is about
- Division 404—What is the form in which documents may be lodged?
- Division 407—Registrar’s powers
- Division 410—Courts power if documents not lodged
  - 410-1 Court may make certain orders
Part 9-3—Registers
- Division 415—Introduction
  - 415-1 What this Part is about
- Division 418—Registers to be kept
- Division 421—What information may a person obtain from the Registrar?
  - 421-1 Inspection and production of records
  - 421-5 Requests and certification of copy or extract etc.
- Division 424—Validity and use of information etc. obtained from a register
Chapter 10—Regulation and enforcement
Part 10-1—Introduction
- Division 434—Introduction
  - 434-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 10-2—Regulation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
- Division 439—Regulation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
Part 10-3—Enforcement
- Division 444—Introduction
  - 444-1 What this Part is about
- Division 447—Authorised officers
  - 447-1 Appointment of authorised officers
  - 447-5 Identity cards
- Division 450—Purposes for which powers under this Part may be exercised
  - 450-1 Purposes for which power under this Part may be exercised
- Division 453—Examination of books and persons
- Division 456—Warrants for books not produced
Part 10-4—Offences relating to regulatory and enforcement powers of Registrar
- Division 461—Offences relating to regulatory and enforcement powers of Registrar
Part 10-5—Protection for whistleblowers
- Division 466—Which disclosures qualify for protection under this Part?
  - 466-1 Disclosures qualifying for protection
- Division 469—Effects of disclosure
- Division 472—Confidentiality requirement
  - 472-1 Confidentiality requirements for corporations, corporation officers and employees and auditors
Chapter 11—External administration
Part 11-1—Introduction
- Division 482—Introduction
  - 482-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 11-2—Special administration
- Division 487—Special administration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
- Division 490—Appointment of special administrator
  - 490-1 Registrar may appoint special administrator
  - 490-5 Period of appointment
- Division 493—Notice requirements
  - 493-1 Notice of special administration determination or appointment of special administrator
- Division 496—Effect of appointment of special administrator on officers of the corporation
- Division 499—Function, duties and powers of special administrator
- Division 502—Special administrator to report to Registrar
  - 502-1 Report to Registrar
- Division 505—Termination of special administrator’s appointment
- Division 508—Transition to normal control of the corporation’s affairs at end of special administration
  - 508-1 Special administrator to ensure that there will be directors when corporation ceases to be under special administration
  - 508-5 Election of directors to take over affairs of corporation when corporation ceases to be under special administration
- Division 511—Miscellaneous
  - 511-1 Remuneration of special administrator
Part 11-3—Receivers, and other controllers, of property of corporations
- Division 516—Receivers, and other controllers, of property of corporations
  - 516-1 Applying Corporations Act receiver provisions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
Part 11-4—Administration of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation’s affairs with a view to executing a deed of corporation arrangement
- Division 521—Administration of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation’s affairs with a view to executing a deed of corporation arrangement
Part 11-5—Winding up
- Division 526—Winding up
Part 11-6—Insolvent trading
- Division 531—Insolvent trading
  - 531-1 Applying Corporations Act insolvent trading provisions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
  - 531-5 Section 588G of Corporations Act prevails over conflicting Native Title legislation obligations
Part 11-7—Employees’ entitlements
- Division 536—Employees’ entitlements
  - 536-1 Applying Corporations Act employees’ entitlements provisions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
Chapter 12—Transfer of registration, deregistration and unclaimed property
Part 12-1—Transfer of registration to another system
- Division 540—Transfer of registration
Part 12-2—Deregistration
- Division 546—Deregistration
Part 12-3—Unclaimed property
- Division 551—Unclaimed property
Chapter 13—Offences
Part 13-1—Offences about false or misleading statements etc.
- Division 561—Offences about false or misleading statements etc.
  - 561-1 False or misleading statements
  - 561-5 False information etc.
Part 13-2—General matters relating to offences
- Division 566—General matters relating to offences
Chapter 14—Courts and proceedings
Part 14-1—Powers of courts
- Division 576—Powers of courts
Part 14-2—Proceedings
- Division 581—Proceedings
Part 14-3—Jurisdiction and procedure of courts
- Division 586—Civil jurisdiction
- Division 589—Criminal jurisdiction
Chapter 15—Administration
Part 15-1—Introduction
- Division 599—Introduction
  - 599-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 15-2—Protection of information
- Division 604—Protection of information
Part 15-3—Protection from liability for Registrar, Minister etc.
- Division 609—Protection from liability for Registrar, Minister etc.
  - 609-1 Protection from liability for Minister, Registrar etc.
Part 15-4—Review of decisions
- Division 614—Introduction
  - 614-1 What this Part is about
- Division 617—Reviewable decisions
- Division 620—Internal review of reviewable decisions
  - 620-1 Registrar may reconsider reviewable decisions on own initiative
  - 620-5 Reconsideration of reviewable decisions
- Division 623—AAT review of reviewable decisions
  - 623-1 AAT review of reviewable decisions
Part 15-5—Fees
- Division 628—Fees
Part 15-6—Regulations
- Division 633—Regulations
  - 633-1 General regulation making power
  - 633-5 Regulations concerning registered native title bodies corporate
Part 15-7—Approved forms
- Division 638—Approved forms
  - 638-1 Registrar may approve forms
Chapter 16—Registrar and Deputy Registrars of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations
Part 16-1—Introduction
- Division 648—Introduction
  - 648-1 What this Chapter is about
Part 16-2—Appointment of the Registrar and Deputy Registrars
- Division 653—Appointment of Registrar and Deputy Registrars
  - 653-1 Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations
  - 653-5 Deputy Registrars of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations
Part 16-3—Registrar’s functions and powers
- Division 658—Registrar’s functions and powers
Part 16-4—Matters concerning the Registrar’s and Deputy Registrars’ appointments
- Division 663—Matters concerning the Registrar’s and Deputy Registrars’ appointments
Part 16-5—Delegation
- Division 668—Delegation
  - 668-1 Delegation by Registrar
  - 668-5 Sub-delegation by Deputy Registrar
Part 16-6—Staffing
- Division 673—Staffing
  - 673-1 Staff assisting the Registrar and Deputy Registrar
  - 673-5 Engagement of consultants etc. by the Registrar
Chapter 17—Interpreting this Act
Part 17-1—Meaning of some important concepts
- Division 683—Directors and officers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations
  - 683-1 Meaning of director and officer
- Division 686—Associates
- Division 689—Subsidiaries and control
Part 17-2—Interpretation of other expressions
- Division 694—Interpretation of other expressions
Part 17-3—Dictionary
- Division 700—Dictionary
  - 700-1 Dictionary
Endnotes
- Endnote 1—About the endnotes
- Endnote 2—Abbreviation key
- Endnote 3—Legislation history
- Endnote 4—Amendment history

Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006

Legislation text