Juru elders urged to unite on issue
JURU indigenous elders have been called to “speak up” amid community frustration at revelations the corporation representing their land interests did not declare more than $ 1.8 million in income.
Last week the Bulletin reported Kyburra Munda Yalga Aboriginal Corporation had been placed into special administration by the Office for the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations ( ORIC) after more than 70 governance and financial issues were identified.
ORIC found Kyburra allegedly breached the Corporation’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ( CATSI) Act by incorrectly declaring income, making unauthorised payments and loans to directors, and failing to notify members about meetings and financial dealings.
Kyburra was incorporated in 2011 to represent the Juru people, who are the recognised native title holders of about 8500ha of land in Cape Upstart National Park.
Amid calls for an investigation into the corporation, Juru elder Aunty Renarta Prior said it was time for the more senior members of the community to “speak up” and unify the group.
“Elders have been pushed into the background, where is the Juru people unity? That’s why I am saying, put your hands up elders. They don’t include us but it’s time we stand up and be heard,” she said.
Aunty Renarta was one of eight Kyburra directors overseeing the corporation’s activity but said she was “surprised” by the allegations made against the corporation.
“All anyone wanted of me was to fill a seat ... I never handled money except what was paid to me, never saw a cheque book,” Aunty Renarta said. She said the elders who initiated the fight for land determination, including her father Peter Gullambah Prior, would be “upset” with how the situation has unfolded.
“Our ancestors would be so sad about what has happened ... we buried their bodies, not their spirit,” she said.
“Those old people, who fought for our land determination, they were never greedy,” she said.
Aunty Renarta said her father was involved in the first native title application for the land in the Cape Upstart region, which is now recognised as belonging to Juru people.
“I have a photo of dad signing the first application in 1997, he put his left thumb print down to sign it,” she said.
“When our ancestors were sent to missions, the men were
put in chains and the women and children followed behind, that’s our history.
“Still to this day we have to justify everything we do, on the one hand the Government is giving out money for the free work our families did, on the other we are questioned for every dollar ... we were set up to fail,” she said.
Kyburra was registered as a “small corporation” and only reported an annual income of $ 50,000 in Prescribed Body Corporate support funding from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as in- come. However, ORIC’s examination found the corporation’s income was $ 982,380 for the 2014/ 15 financial year, $ 447,535 in 2015/ 16 and $ 385,831 in 2016/ 17.
An ORIC delegate said based on this income, Kyburra should have been required to audit its financial records.
Former Kyburra director Jenny Pryor told the Bulletin there was no dispute the corporation had received this revenue but alleged directors were advised they did not need to declare the compensation funds.
“We said from day one, because of the information we were given from workshops and governance training from ORIC and North Queensland Land Council ( NQLC) where it was also stated as part of cultural heritage money ... we didn’t have to report, it was the grant money we had to report,” she said.
Former Kyburra chairwoman Angie Akee also told the Bulletin she believed the ORIC report was not accurate.
“The ( ORIC) report is wrong because they never had the opportunity to talk to ( the directors),” she said.
A spokeswoman for ORIC denied suggestions a delegate from the organisation had ad- vised Kyburra directors only to declare grant income.
“ORIC does not provide legal or financial advice,” she said.
NQLC chief executive Steve Ducksbury said “at no stage” in workshops or at any other time did the organisation advise directors compensation payments did not need to be declared.
Gerry Mier, who was appointed as the special administrator of the corporation by ORIC, said his current role was only to ensure any outstanding liabilities such as unpaid tax or superannuation were addressed.