The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, is signalling the need for an administrator to be appointed at Njernda Aboriginal Corporation.
Mr Walsh says he has been sent a petition signed by more than 100 members of Njernda demanding an extraordinary general meeting of the corporation “so they can find out how it is being managed – or most likely mismanaged”.
He says the embattled corporation has just lost another chief executive, sparking the latest confidence crisis in the organisation’s future.
“The top job at Njernda has been like a revolving door in recent years and there is genuine, and understandable, concern amongst those who rely on the services of Njernda’s Medical Centre and Family Services division they will be the ones who suffer,” Mr Walsh says.
“As well as the petition, I have been approached by several senior members of the community with the same concerns, and requests for the extraordinary general meeting have been ignored to this point in time,” he says.
Mr Walsh says the corporation has already been through administration and he believes that is the most likely next step again.
He says several years ago the Office of Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) conducted an investigation into the structure and management of Njernda and that results in the appointment of an administrator.
“Unfortunately, nothing appears to have changed since that time to correct these internal issues,” Mr Walsh adds.
“While the Board and management play musical chairs it is those who rely on the services of Njernda who are the ones really missing out,” he says.
“One of the locals who dropped off the petition to my office told me they, and many others, are concerned that once more the corporation’s resources and energy are going into internal arguments rather than helping the most vulnerable in the community.
“They believe Njernda could be doing so much more for its community if there could be an end to these arguments and everyone focused on their role of service delivery.
“If an extraordinary general meeting isn’t held immediately, I am calling on the Minister for First Peoples to step in and insist ORIC again appoint an administrator to Njernda get to the bottom of what the members are concerned about with the dysfunction in the corporation.
“And most importantly make their findings available to the membership,” he says.
“Njernda’s role in the Echuca and surrounding community is too important not to have it functioning properly.
“As I said, it is the most vulnerable in the community who suffer and miss out when the corporation loses direction from its primary role of service to its community.”
