IBA is established under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (ATSI Act), which sets out its purposes, functions and powers. IBA is a corporate Commonwealth entity and IBA’s Board is the accountable authority under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act).

RESPONSIBLE MINISTER

IBA is accountable to the Australian Parliament through the NIAA and the Minister for Indigenous Australians.

MINISTERIAL DIRECTIONS AND GOVERNMENT POLICY ORDERS

Under section 151 of the ATSI Act, the responsible Minister is empowered to make general written directions that IBA must comply with. No such directions were made during the reporting period.

IBA must also comply with applicable government policies. No government policy orders were issued to IBA under the PGPA Act.

PORTFOLIO BUDGET STATEMENTS AND CORPORATE PLAN

IBA’s budget is managed through the annual portfolio budget statements of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The PGPA Act requires Commonwealth entities to prepare a corporate plan. This plan sits alongside the portfolio budget statements as IBA’s principal planning document and is a key mechanism for accountability to the Parliament and the public.

IBA BOARD

IBA’s Board is responsible for ensuring that the functions of IBA are properly and efficiently performed and for determining policy with respect to any matter. This includes keeping the Minister informed of IBA’s activities and significant decisions in accordance with the PGPA Act.

The Board also appoints and reviews the performance of the CEO.

APPOINTMENTS

In accordance with section 157 of the ATSI Act, the Minister appoints the members of the Board who comprise a Chair, Deputy Chair and seven other members. As required by section 158 of the ATSI Act, the Minister also consults IBA about potential Board appointees when there is, or is expected to be, a vacancy.

MEMBERS

Members of IBA’s Board have extensive and varied expertise, particularly in industry, commerce and finance, and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities and enterprises. There were nine serving Board members at the end of the 2019–20 financial year. Kerrynne Liddle finished her term in August 2019 and Vanessa Elliott joined in May 2020. Seven of the nine Board members identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and four were female. All are non-executive directors.

BOARD MEMBERS

• Dagoman man from the Katherine region, Northern Territory.
• Diploma in Business Management, University of South Australia, graduate of the International Lead and Zinc Study Group.
• Chair of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation.
• Specialist in Indigenous and native title issues as Executive Director of Gimbulki Ltd, a native title land access company, Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Board for Ventia Services Pty Ltd (formerly Broadspectrum/ Transfield), Deputy Chair of the Aboriginal Foundation of South Australia Inc.
• Extensive experience in the Australian resource sector including senior executive roles with Normandy Mining Ltd., establishing the company’s Traditional Owner policy, managed international logistics and marketing of Normandy’s base and strategic metal portfolio, and was an investor-relations analyst.
• Former director and consultant of TNG Ltd – an Australian resource company.
• Chair and Consultant Advisor of Todd River Resources Limited.

• Gamilaraay-Yuwaalaraay man from north western New South Wales.
• Chartered Accountant and Registered Company Auditor.
• Director of the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network Ltd.
• Independent Chair of Finance, Remuneration and Sustainability Committee, National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE)
• Ex-officio member of the Supply Nation Audit and Risk Committee.
• Has owned a public accounting practice with wife Vanessa since 2004, providing a mix of taxation, assurance, accounting and consultancy services.
  
  

  

  RICHARD (RICK) ALLERT AO (IBA Director, Audit, Risk and Performance Committee Chair and Finance, Investment & Products Committee)
• Chartered Accountant with many years’ experience in the corporate sector.
• Director of Scissor Holdings Pty Ltd trading as One Rail Australia Pty Ltd (formerly Genesee and Wyoming Australia Pty Ltd), Chair of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia Pty Ltd, Chairman of Kakadu Tourism (GLC) Pty Ltd and Kakadu Tourism (GCH) Pty Ltd, Chairman of Cavpower Pty Ltd (Group).
• 2011 recipient of the Ernst & Young Champion of Entrepreneurship Award, Central Region, for outstanding entrepreneurial achievement and contribution to the community.
• Awarded a member of the Order of Australia (1997) particularly for work with the National Heart Foundation, a Centenary Medal (2003) for service to rail, business and taxation, and an officer of the Order of Australia (2008) for leadership in corporate social responsibility.

• Wiradjuri man, born and raised on Nanima Reserve, near Wellington, New South Wales.
• Qualifications in social welfare with experience working at various government agencies and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.
• Co-chair of the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council and a Director of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation.
• Presented at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York and the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva on issues including economic empowerment for Aboriginal people.
• Works in a voluntary capacity to help Aboriginal men experiencing challenges with drugs and alcohol.

• Arrernte woman from Central Australia.
• MBA, BA, GAICD, Vincent Fairfax Fellow.
• Executive Leader tourism and hospitality.
• Corporate Team Leader, oil and gas industry.
• Successful small business owner (20+ years).
• Management, business, governance, media, engagement and communications specialist.
• Experienced government and not-for-profit board director.
• Ms Liddle’s term expired August 2019.

• Yamatji and Nyoongar woman from the Perth and Murchison regions of Western Australia.
• Chartered Accountant with experience in program delivery and business development at all levels of government.
• National Business Development and Engagement Manager for AFL SportsReady.
• Former Group Manager of Indigenous Strategy and Business with Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd.
• Former consultant to the mining industry in negotiating land use agreements in Western Australia.
• Former member of the Australian Government delegation to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

• Tertiary qualifications in occupational therapy, psychology and project management, and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
• General Manager, Business Banking Victoria, Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
• Experience in business banking, governance, risk management, strategic planning, policy development, business re-engineering, and project and program management.

• Belongs to the Nunukul people of Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island in Queensland.
• Chair of the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Prescribed Body Corporate.
• Bachelor of Arts with Honours and a PhD from Australian National University.
• Adjunct Professor at Griffith University and Indigenous Research Fellow at the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, University of Queensland.
• Former member of the National Native Title Tribunal.
• Previously the Manager of the Native Title Unit in the (former) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission–Western Australian State Office and CEO of Queensland South Representative Body Aboriginal Corporation and Queensland South Native Title Services.
• Worked with Social Ventures Australia.
• Aboriginal Hostels Ltd Board member.
• 2018 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mediator of the Year with the Australian Dispute Resolution Awards.

• Koa man from the Winton area, Central West Queensland.
• Bachelor of Civil Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, MURRA Indigenous Business Master Class Program, University of Melbourne.
• Co-founding and Managing Director of a national specialised labour company, Young Guns Container Crew.
• Director of First Grade Group and All Things Containers.
• Member of the Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia and The Executive Connection.
• 2015 Young Business Person of the Year in the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Business Awards.

(IBA Director, Audit, Risk and Performance Committee member and Remuneration and Nomination Committee member)

• Jaru woman from the Kimberley region of Western Australia with cultural connections into the central and western desert.
• Graduate Certificate of Business, University of Western Australia and Bachelor of Arts Communications and Cultural Studies Curtin University.
• Principal of Vanessa Elliott and Associates.
• Has extensive experience in mining, energy and primary industries as Corporate Affairs, Government and Community Relations Lead with Newmont Asia Pacific and Woodside and as an independent consultant.
• Forest Products Commissioner WA, Adjunct Industry Fellow with the Sustainable Minerals Institute University of Queensland, Board Member of Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining Advisory, Board Member of Desert Knowledge Australia and Chair of Kent Street Public Independent School Board Perth.

In 2019–20, the Board held six scheduled meetings and four out-of-session meetings. Details of attendance by directors at meetings of the Board are in table 4.

TABLE 04: BOARD MEETING ATTENDANCE

Note:

Figures represent meetings attended out of the number of meetings the director was eligible to attend.

* Vanessa Elliott joined the Board May 2020, and Kerrynne Liddle finished her term on the Board in August 2019

BOARD CHARTER AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The Board’s Charter includes a code of conduct for directors, and rules and processes for dealing with conflicts of interest and related party transactions. It is reviewed annually to keep up-to-date with best practices in corporate governance.

In 2019 the charter was updated to ensure consistency with changes to internal policies and practices. It adopted four objectives:

1. to outline the respective roles and responsibilities of the Board and IBA management
2. to enable the efficient and effective exercise of key Board functions including ethical and responsible decision making
3. to set sound Board governance processes that facilitate achievement of IBA objectives
4. to provide a framework for continuous improvement in Board processes.

The Board Charter also provides for reviews to provide a forum for the ongoing development and improvement of the Board’s performance. These reviews include assessment as to the performance of the Board and individual members, and evaluation of the performance of the Board using external frameworks provided by the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

These reviews are held on a triennial basis, the most recent review was held in 2018. The IBA Board Charter is required to be continuously updated in response to internal and external reviews and variations in IBA’s operating environment.

This culture and standard of best practice corporate governance established in the Board Charter is included in the IBA Board Governance instructions which are issued to the IBA CEO and IBA employees. IBA employees are required to comply with the Board instructions, and also:

• Board policies
• Chief Executive’s instructions
• Authorisations and delegations, and
• Other lawful and reasonable directions.

Further information about IBA’s corporate governance approach is set out in the “Internal Governance” section.

COMMITTEES

Three ongoing committees assist the Board to effectively exercise its functions:

• Audit, Risk and Performance Committee: Provides independent assurance and advice to the Board on IBA’s risk, control and compliance framework, financial statements, and performance reporting responsibilities. It also monitors IBA’s performance against budget and key performance indicators. Maria Storti has been an independent member of this committee since September 2014. She is an experienced senior executive who was a partner in a professional services firm and has held other senior management and consulting roles across the private and public sectors. The committee is chaired by Richard Allert and is composed of two members who are IBA Directors, as well as an independent member. The Audit, Risk and Performance Committee Charter is available at iba.gov.au/charter
• Finance, Investment and Products Committee: Monitors and reviews IBA’s Housing Solutions, Business Solutions and Investments portfolios, reviews IBA’s important financial policies, and provides advice and recommendations to the Board in relation to major new business, products, investments or other financial transactions. The committee is chaired by Anthony Ashby.
• Remuneration and Nomination Committee: Provides advice to the Board on CEO and Board appointments and CEO performance and remuneration as required. The committee is chaired by Edward Fry.

Directors’ committee memberships in 2019–20 are set out in their biographies in IBA BOARD.

INDEMNITY AND INSURANCE

IBA’s insurance cover, including directors and officers’ liability insurance, is provided through Comcover, the Australian Government’s self-managed fund.

TABLE 05: DETAILS OF AUDIT, RISK AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS