The TSRA’s governance framework (Figure 4-1) provides a system of direction and controls, enabling regional outcomes to be achieved through organisational goals and objectives. The framework allows risks and issues to be escalated to the appropriate level.

The resolution of risks and issues occurs through formal project management structures, programme structures, the TSRA Programme Steering Committee, the TSRA Audit Committee and the TSRA Board.

RESPONSIBLE MINISTER

The Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon. Ken Wyatt AM, MP, is the Minister responsible for the TSRA.

Throughout the reporting period the TSRA provided ministerial minutes and briefings to the Minister, including quarterly reports detailing the TSRA’s operations and service delivery.

MINISTERIAL DIRECTIONS

Under section 142E of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cth), the Minister has powers of direction in relation to the TSRA. Section 142E of the Act states:

1. The TSRA must perform its functions and exercise its powers in accordance with any general written directions given to it by the Minister.
2. The Minister must not give directions about the content of any advice, information or recommendation that may be given by the TSRA to a Minister, Department of State or authority of the Commonwealth.
3. The Minister must not give directions about the content of any advice, information or recommendation that may be given by the TSRA to:
   1. a Minister of a State or Territory; or
   2. a Department of a State or Territory; or
   3. an authority of a State or Territory; except for the purpose of protecting the confidentiality of information given to the

TSRA by the Commonwealth or an authority of the Commonwealth.

1. Subject to subsection (5), the Minister must cause a copy of a direction to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after that direction was given.
2. The rule in subsection (4) does not apply if the laying of a copy of a direction before each House of the Parliament would result in the disclosure of a matter in a manner that would

be inconsistent with the views or sensitivities of Torres Strait Islanders or Aboriginal persons.

The TSRA did not receive any formal directions from the Minister during the reporting period.

STATEMENT OF EXPECTATIONS AND STATEMENT OF INTENT

In 2016, the former Minister for Indigenous Affairs provided a Statement of Expectations to the TSRA concerning the operation and performance of the TSRA. In response, the TSRA provided a Statement of Intent to the Minister.

MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENTS

The Minister for Indigenous Australians made five Acting TSRA Chief Executive Officer appointments under section 144L(a) of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cth) during 2019-2020.

Ms Mary Bani, Mr Christopher De Mamiel and Ms Kerry Vizcarra-Dixon were appointed as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the TSRA for the periods outlined in Table 4-1.

TSRA BOARD

The TSRA Board is an elected representative body which participates in scheduled quarterly meetings and issue-specific out-of-session meetings.

The primary functions of the Board are to:

• set out the TSRA’s vision for the Torres Strait
• oversee the TSRA’s strategic objectives and direction
• approve programme mandates
• review the TSRA’s performance, objectives and outcomes
• manage strategic risk and regional stakeholder relations.

The Chairperson and Executive Committee members are elected by the Board at their first meeting following the TSRA elections. The Executive Committee members are the Deputy Chairperson, the Alternate Deputy Chairperson and portfolio members who represent each programme.

The Chairperson is a full-time Principal Executive Officer, while other Board members are part-time officials. All Board members are remunerated in accordance with determinations of the Remuneration Tribunal for full-time and part-time officials.

TSRA Board members are officials under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth) and are classified as non-executive directors. The Board is the accountable authority for the TSRA.

BOARD ELECTIONS

The TSRA Board consists of 20 members elected under Division 5 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cth).

Each member represents one of 20 wards defined in Part 1 of the Torres Strait Regional Authority Election Rules 2017 (Cth). The wards align with the communities of Badu, Bamaga, Boigu, Dauan, Erub, Hammond, lama, Kubin, Mabuyag, Masig,

Mer, Ngurapai and Muralag, Port Kennedy, Poruma, Seisia, Saibai, St Pauls, TRAWQ (Tamwoy, Rose Hill, Aplin, Waiben and Quarantine), Ugar, and Warraber.

The most recent Board elections were held in July 2016. Elections for Board office holders were held at the first meeting of the new Board, in September 2016.

Section 142Y of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cth) states that TSRA elections must be held every four years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister for Indigenous Australians exercised his power under section 142S of the

Act to postpone the election due to occur in mid-2020. The election is now scheduled to occur in late 2020.

MEMBERSHIP CHANGES WITHIN THE REPORTING PERIOD

Two casual vacancies arose on the Board as the result of the resignations of:

• Mr Jerry D Stephen Jr, Member for Ugar, Deputy Chairperson and Portfolio Member for Fisheries, in May 2019
• Mr Eric Peter, Member for Boigu, Alternate Deputy Chairperson and Portfolio Member for Native Title, in June 2019.

In accordance with Part 6 of the Torres Strait Regional Authority Election Rules 2017 (Cth), a casual vacancy may be filled by means of a recount of votes cast for candidates who were unsuccessful in the election. If no unsuccessful candidates exist or consent to act if elected, the vacancy may be filled by a by-election.

Mr Jerry D Stephen Jr was elected unopposed in 2016. Upon acceptance of his resignation, on 24 July 2019, the Minister fixed a by-election date for Ugar Ward for 12 October 2019. Mr David Stuart, the Australian Electoral Commission Returning Officer, declared Mr Rocky Stephen to be the elected member for the Ugar ward on 13 October 2019, upon the completion of counting.

Mr Donald Banu, the unsuccessful candidate for the Boigu ward in the 2016 election, declared an interest in filling the position vacated by Mr Eric Peter. In accordance with rule 126(2) of the Torres Strait Regional Authority Election Rules 2017 (Cth), a recount of votes was undertaken.

Mr David Stuart declared Mr Banu to be the elected member for the Boigu ward on 30 August 2019.

OFFICE HOLDER ELECTIONS WITHIN THE REPORTING PERIOD

Following the resignations of Mr Jerry D Stephen Jr, Deputy Chairperson, and Mr Eric Peter, Alternate Deputy Chairperson, the TSRA Administration engaged the Australian Electoral Commission to undertake officeholder elections in line with the Torres Strait Regional Authority (Election of Officeholders) Regulations 2019 (Cth).

Mr David Stuart, the Australian Electoral Commission Returning Officer, attended TSRA Board meeting number 117 on 4 September 2019. Following a formal nomination and ballot process, Mr Getano Lui Jr AM, Member for Iama, was declared the new Deputy Chairperson, and Mr Horace Baira, Member for Badu, was declared the new Alternate Deputy Chairperson.

Profiles of TSRA Board Members in 2019-2020

Mr Napau Pedro Stephen AM

CHAIRPERSON

MEMBER FOR PORT KENNEDY

PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP

REGIONAL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEMBER

Mr Stephen is a member of Community Enterprise Queensland (formerly known as the Islanders Board of Industry and Service) and the Port Kennedy Association.

The keys issues of concern for Mr Stephen are housing, unemployment, health, domestic violence, and substance abuse. He aims to address these through programmes which improve health care practices and the wellbeing of families and support ways for families to access affordable housing. He will advocate for increasing the wealth of our region through developing local industries and jobs, and for supporting community organisations with service delivery.

During his term, Mr Stephen would like to provide strong leadership that promotes honesty, loyalty and outstanding customer service. He would like to establish a single regional governance authority in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area, to provide effective and efficient governance with a model of hope and security in line with social and economic independence for people living in the Torres Strait.

Mr Getano Lui Jr AM

DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON MEMBER FOR IAMA

REGIONAL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR

Mr Lui was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1994. He is a Justice of the Peace (magistrates court).

Mr Lui was involved in the ratification of the Torres Strait Treaty between Australia and Papua New Guinea. He is currently Co-chairperson of the Traditional Inhabitants Meeting at the Australia–Papua New Guinea bilateral meetings.

Mr Lui is concerned about the socioeconomic and cultural wellbeing of his people. Advocating for regional governance with the aim of regional autonomy that will grant full self-determination to the people of Zenadth Kes is a priority for him.

Mr Horace Baira

ALTERNATE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON MEMBER FOR BADU

PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR NATIVE TITLE

AUDIT COMMITTEE MEMBER

Mr Baira has experience in environmental health; community management; rural and remote operations; and small business management.

His key issues of concern are the effectiveness of Integrated Service Delivery between stakeholders in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area region and the allocation of resources towards community and economic development.

Mr Baira has a strong commitment to developing and improving policies and programmes for the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area communities, working towards a safe and healthy region with a strong economy while conserving Ailan Kastom and the region’s pristine environment.

Mrs Patricia Yusia

MEMBER FOR BAMAGA

PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

In May 2020, Mrs Yusia was elected Mayor of the NPARC. She currently serves as a director of local community organisations, including Bamagau Kazil Torres Strait Islanders Corporation, Apunipima Cape York Health Council and Northern Peninsula Area Family and Community Services. She is also a member of the Mura Badulgal (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation Board.

Mrs Yusia aims to improve Indigenous leadership, community partnerships, and social and cultural determinants which affect the Torres Strait lifestyle. She will lobby for more funding for organisations which empower community groups to be sustainable, believing it is important to encourage communities to work together for a brighter, healthy future for their children and future generations.

Mr Joel Gaidan

MEMBER FOR DAUAN

Mr Gaidan’s key areas of concern for his community include addressing the shortage of housing and improving infrastructure. This includes upgrading and maintaining the water supply and rubbish dump, sealing roads, and addressing the mobile telephone blackspot on Dauan.

Mr Gaidan’s main priorities for his time on the Board are obtaining helicopter subsidies and a community hall for the community of Dauan.

IN MEMORY - Mr Donald Banu

MEMBER FOR BOIGU

Mr Banu served for three terms as TSRA Member for Boigu, during 2004-2008, 2008-2012 and 2019-2020. In his first and second terms, Mr Banu also served as the TSRA Portfolio Member for Native Title. His contribution was instrumental in the Native Title determinations for several island communities, and later the Torres Strait Sea Claims.

A key focus area for Mr Banu was capacity building for PBCs to allow Torres Strait Islanders to benefit from opportunities such as land lease agreements.

Mr Banu was a strong advocate for action to address the issue of coastal erosion in his community of Boigu, across all levels of government, culminating in the Torres Strait Seawalls Programme.

Mr Banu was involved in the project to repatriate Indigenous human remains and sacred objects to Torres Strait communities. He was instrumental in negotiating an agreement with the United Kingdom’s Natural History Museum for the return of ancestral remains to the Torres Strait. Mr Banu was involved in this project during 2010-2011 and during that time 138 sets of ancestral remains were repatriated to Australia from overseas.

In his own time, Mr Banu undertook an active role in his community and the wider Torres Strait to help young people achieve career paths in the Australian Navy and other Australian Defence Force services.

Mr Banu will be sadly missed by the TSRA, the Boigu community and the wider Torres Strait community.

Mr Jimmy Gela

MEMBER FOR ERUB

Deputy Chair of Malu Lamar (Torres Strait Islander) Corporation RNTBC, a director of Gur A Baradharaw Kod Corporation and a director of Ged Erub Trading Homeland Enterprise (Torres Strait Islander) Corporation.

Mr Gela is interested in maintaining and preserving our cultural knowledge and traditional practices for the benefit of future generations, and training and upskilling locals to obtain professional qualifications, particularly in trades, business management and administration, health, and education.

Mr Gela would like to see Torres Strait Island Police Support Officers given the opportunity to receive training in compliance with the qualities of Queensland Police Service officers, to make them more effective in enforcing the law within the community.

He would also like to see all tiers of government maintain working relationships with Native Title holders that support the betterment and growth of people and community, acknowledging our cultural laws and values.

Mr Seriako Dorante

MEMBER FOR HAMMOND

In 2020, Mr Dorante was elected as Councillor for Kirirri on the TSIRC.

Mr Dorante’s key issues of concern are Native Title, housing, employment, health and wellbeing. He believes that the promotion of the TSRA must happen in all our communities, to encourage communities to support their elected members so that regional issues can be addressed properly through better consultation processes involving all relevant stakeholders and government bodies.

Mr Dorante will advocate to improve the lifestyles and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the region.

Mr David Bosun

MEMBER FOR KUBIN

Mr Bosun holds an Associate Diploma in Journalism and Communication, a Diploma in Leadership and Management, a Certificate IV in Visual Arts and a Certificate IV in Business Management. He would like to see vast improvements made in the

Torres Strait region’s economy through sustainable tourism ventures and the promotion of arts and culture.

Mr Bosun emphasises a grassroots approach to training, employment and economic development that enables communities to become empowered, self-sufficient and independent.

Mr Cygnet Repu

MEMBER FOR MABUYAG

PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR CULTURE, ART AND HERITAGE

Mr Repu has received various awards during his 20-year service with Biosecurity Australia and will draw on that experience during his term. His key issues of concern for the Torres Strait are housing, children’s welfare, cultural hunger, community unity, travel and transport.

Mr Repu believes that our region is different, and through his portfolio will connect the Torres Strait’s parent brand while respecting local cultural practices. Employee engagement, productivity, leadership and employer branding in the region must acknowledge that each location is unique.

He will engage the support of the community, believing that what is best for the Torres Strait should be identified by its people, and that minimising the effects of cultural challenges depends on identifying their impacts and gaining skills to effectively overcome them.

Ms Hilda Mosby

MEMBER FOR MASIG

PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Community involvement has been a paramount focus for Ms Mosby, who is an active member of committees dealing with education, health, justice, fisheries and Native Title in her community of Masig.

Of key concern to Ms Mosby is the impact of coastal erosion on low-lying Torres Strait communities, including her own community. She will advocate for an integrated approach to address coastal erosion issues by the relevant Australian Government and Queensland Government agencies.

Ms Mosby is passionate about the preservation of Torres Strait culture through language, music and art. She will continue to advocate for the best outcomes for the cultural wellbeing of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people in the region.

Mr Aven S Noah

MEMBER FOR MER

Mr Noah is passionate about greater autonomy for the Torres Strait, supporting and contributing to the region’s goal of achieving ‘home rule’ and establishing ‘Ailanesia’.

In 2020, Mr Noah was elected as Councillor for Mer on the TSIRC. He is a member of the Round Table on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics; the Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics, ABS; and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group, Ipsos Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Unit.

Mr Noah has extensive experience in media and communications and is keen to see the development of their use, including the uptake of new technologies, across the region.

Mr Noah manages Native Title at Mer Gedkem Le (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation and is also a member of the Indigenous Reference Group of the National Museum of Australia.

Mr Yen Loban

MEMBER FOR NGURAPAI AND MURALAG

PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR FISHERIES

AUDIT COMMITTEE MEMBER

Mr Loban will work to ensure that the communities of Ngurapai and Muralag are healthy and safe.

He would like to see these communities receive the same services as other communities across the Torres Strait. He hopes to influence TSRA programmes to focus on equity in the provision of services that benefit all communities in the region.

He would also like to see an improvement in access to health services and education.

Mr Frank Fauid

MEMBER FOR PORUMA

Mr Fauid is a pastor of the Australian Christian Churches (Assemblies of God) and became a justice of the peace in 2019. He has a Certificate III in Micro Business Operations.

Mr Fauid’s key concern is the issue of coastal erosion affecting Poruma and other low-lying communities. He is also concerned about the condition of some of the infrastructure in his community, particularly the basketball court, which is needed to encourage regular exercise.

Mr Fauid would like to see an art centre established on Poruma, the Poruma Island Resort reopened and the fishing industry restarted to connect the community to the wider economy. His other concerns are the lack of jobs in the communities, and the need to improve the health and wellbeing of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people living in the region.

Mr Fauid will work with the relevant government ministers and stakeholders to address these issues to get the best outcomes for his community and the wider region.

Ms Chelsea Aniba

MEMBER FOR SAIBAI

PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR SAFE COMMUNITIES

She has eight years of experience in radio broadcasting and is a member of the Torres Strait Islander Media Association Committee of Management. She is also a director of the Saibai Community Development Corporation and works closely with non-government organisations in tackling domestic violence, juvenile justice and mental health issues in communities.

Ms Aniba’s two primary concerns are coastal erosion and rising sea levels; and the insufficient supply of social housing. She advocates for the construction of seawalls for affected Torres Strait communities and the rollout of the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing.
Ms Aniba is also concerned about creating employment and economic development opportunities for local families in small businesses; helping to keep, restore and revitalise culture; and strengthening RNTBCs to enable them to progress Native Title issues.

Mr Joseph Elu AO

MEMBER FOR SEISIA

PORTFOLIO MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Mr Elu is Deputy Chairperson and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation. He was Chairperson of Indigenous Business Australia (formerly known as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commercial Development Corporation) for 12 years.

Mr Elu was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 and received an honorary Doctorate of Economics from Queensland University of Technology in 2002. In 2008, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia and awarded the NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr Elu is an influential leader in Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal affairs and Indigenous economic development. He has assisted Indigenous people throughout Australia to develop sustainable economic enterprises.

Mr John Paiwan

MEMBER FOR ST PAULS

AUDIT COMMITTEE MEMBER

He holds a Diploma of Leadership and Management and a Certificate IV in Occupational Health and Safety.

Mr Paiwan’s key concerns are upgrading key infrastructure in communities, such as water services and electricity supply; continuing support for the delivery of affordable home ownership for local people in the region; continuing support for the training and employment of local people; and supporting small business and economic development in the region.

80 He aims to achieve his goals by working in partnership with the TSIRC, other stakeholders, service providers and local organisations in the region to address and support community concerns.

Mr John Abednego

MEMBER FOR TRAWQ

REGIONAL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEMBER

Mr Abednego has a Diploma of Counselling and 25 years of experience in community, organisation and board development; policies and procedures; and government systems. During his career he has been involved in mediation and counselling, court referrals, and social justice interagency networking.

Mr Abednego’s key concerns are lack of funding, inappropriate policies, and the fact that traditional culture and the mainstream are not equal partners. To address those concerns he aims to seek outside funding, have dedicated positions for cultural people, and ensure that cultural people are involved in developing culturally appropriate policies with meaningful outcomes.

Mr Abednego aims to achieve effective processes that deliver meaningful outcomes in the community.

Mr Rocky Stephen

MEMBER FOR UGAR

Mr Stephen joins the TSRA Board as a returning member, having previously served on the board for two consecutive terms from 2000 to 2008. He was the youngest serving member. Mr Stephen is glad to be back and looks forward to working closely with the members of the TSRA Board in addressing the issues of his community and the region.

In 2020, Mr Stephen was re-elected as Councillor for Ugar on the TSIRC. Mr Stephen is also a Traditional Inhabitant member of the PZJA, representing the Kemer Kemer Meriam nation, and is a member of the PZJA Scientific Advisory Committee and Finfish Resource Assessment Group.

Mr Stephen brings a wealth of experience in serving the community, including his involvement in a number of community boards and committees.

Mr Willie Lui

MEMBER FOR WARRABER

The key areas of concern for Mr Lui are the high cost of living, lack of employment opportunities, and Native Title issues.

He will work to see those concerns addressed through effective implementation of the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Plan 2009-2029 and the Torres Strait Development Plan.

Mr Lui would also like to see improvements made in health and wellbeing and access to affordable housing across the region during his term.

Board

BOARD MEETINGS

The Chairperson is required to convene at least four TSRA Board meetings each year under section 144E of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cth). If it is considered

necessary, the Chairperson may convene special meetings of the Board to enable the TSRA to carry out its functions.

During 2019-2020, the TSRA Board held eight meetings as detailed in Table 4-2. Attendance at those meetings is outlined in Table 4-3.

BOARD CHARTER

The second edition of the TSRA Board Charter was adopted in 2016. The charter brings together all the resources that Board members require to enable them to exercise their powers and responsibilities.

The TSRA Board Charter is based on ethical standards and good governance and contains key documents such as the Board Member’s Code of Conduct, the TSRA’s Charter of Representation, Performance and Accountability, and the terms of reference relating to Board committees.

BOARD MEMBER INDUCTION

Following the TSRA Board elections in 2016, an induction programme was undertaken by all newly elected Board members. The programme was based on key governance roles, Board functions and processes, and Board members’ matters.

The TSRA Governance and Leadership Team delivered an induction programme for the two members who joined the Board during the reporting period:

• Mr Donald Banu, who was elected Member for Boigu on 30 August 2019, was inducted on 2-3 September 2019
• Mr Rocky Stephen, who was elected Member for Ugar on 12 October 2019, was inducted on 21 November 2019.

BOARD TRAINING AND EDUCATION

On 3 December 2019, as part of the 2019-2020 Internal Audit programme, conflict of interest training was provided to members of the Audit Committee and other Board members who wished to attend.

The training was delivered by the TSRA’s Internal Auditor, Mr Chris King, Director of Pilot Partners.

Board members are eligible to apply for the TSRA’s leadership capacity building programmes.

Individual qualifications are stated in the members’ profiles in this section of the Annual Report.

Executive Committee

The TSRA Board formed an Executive Committee at its meeting in September 2016, to assist the Chairperson to carry out his functions. The portfolio structure of the Executive Committee is aligned to the TSRA’s eight programmes.

Executive Committee meetings are held quarterly, immediately prior to each regular TSRA Board meeting. The TSRA Chairperson may call for additional Executive Committee meetings should they be required.

The Executive Committee’s objectives are to:

• ensure that policies and future directives are made in accordance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cth), the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth) and other relevant legislation
• advocate for improved outcomes in the Torres Strait region
• represent the views of the TSRA on internal and external committees
• assist the TSRA Chairperson to communicate to Torres Strait communities government policies and TSRA decisions and achievements as they relate to the Executive Committee’s portfolio responsibilities.

MEMBERSHIP

The 2019-2020 Executive Committee members and their portfolio responsibilities are shown in Table 4-4.

MEETINGS

In 2019-2020, the TSRA Executive Committee met four times, as shown in Table 4-5. Attendance at Executive Committee meetings is shown in Table 4-6.

Advisory Committees

Advisory committees are those committees established under section 142M of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cth).

The TSRA currently has three advisory committees: the Audit Committee, the Finfish Quota Management Committee (FQMC) and the Fisheries Regional Ownership Framework Steering Committee (FROF Steering Committee).

AUDIT COMMITTEE

The TSRA is required to have an Audit Committee under section 45 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth).

The TSRA Board is responsible for appointing the Audit Committee to provide independent advice and assistance to the TSRA Board on the risk control and compliance frameworks as well as the TSRA’s external accountability responsibilities. The Audit Committee consists of four members.

The Chairperson of the Audit Committee is an independent member, Mr Adrian Kelly from management firm Charterpoint Pty Ltd. The Chairperson of the Audit Committee provides technical expertise and experience, and advice on best practice accounting and auditing standards in the public sector. The Chairperson can request special meetings of the Audit Committee if considered necessary.

The membership of the Audit Committee was endorsed by the incoming TSRA Board at its inaugural meeting in September 2016. The current TSRA Audit Committee Charter can be found online at http://www.tsra.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/26408/TSRA-Audit-Committee-Charter-March-2020.pdf

Membership

The membership of the Audit Committee during 2019-2020 is shown in Table 4-7.

Meetings

The Audit Committee met three times in 2019-2020, as shown in Table 4-8. Attendance at Audit Committee meetings is shown in Table 4-9.

FINFISH QUOTA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The FQMC was established by the Board in 2007 to provide advice on leasing arrangements in the Torres Strait finfish fishery, following the transfer of the fishery to 100 per cent ownership by Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Traditional Owners.

The terms of reference for the FQMC set out the membership to be the four TSRA Board members from the finfish communities (Erub, Masig, Mer and Ugar), an independent TSRA Board member as Chairperson, and one community fisher representative from each of the finfish communities.

The current Chairperson (the Member for Ngurapai and Muralag) and community fisher representatives have been appointed members of the FQMC for

the term of the sitting TSRA Board. Membership of the committee expires on the date on which the Australian Electoral Commission issues a notice of election for the TSRA.

Membership

Membership of the FQMC during 2019-2020 is shown in Table 4-10.

Meetings

The FQMC met once in 2019-2020, as shown in Table 4-11. Attendance at FQMC meetings is shown in Table 4-12.

FISHERIES REGIONAL OWNERSHIP FRAMEWORK STEERING COMMITTEE

The FROF Steering Committee was first appointed by the Board in 2018-2019 as an informal committee to work on the Fisheries Regional Ownership Framework project. It was established as a formal advisory committee to the Board on 20 November 2018.

The terms of reference for the FROF Steering Committee set out the membership to be TSRA Board members and community members appointed by the TSRA Chairperson.

The current committee Chairperson (the Member for Ngurapai and Muralag) and TSRA Board, community and Native Title representatives have been appointed members of the FROF Steering Committee for the term of the sitting TSRA Board. Membership of the committee expires on the date on which the Australian Electoral Commission issues a notice of election for the TSRA.

Membership

The membership of the FROF Steering Committee during 2019-2020 is shown in Table 4-13.

Meetings

The FROF Steering Committee met nine times in 2019-20, as shown in Table 4-14. Attendance at FROF Steering Committee meetings is shown in Table 4-15.