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ABC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council cleared of wrongdoing but will review its procedures
An Aboriginal Land Council in central New South Wales says an independent review has cleared it of any wrongdoing, but it has vowed to implement a raft of recommendations to improve transparency. Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council (OLALC) ordered the review after allegations of misconduct were raised by members, which included nepotism and financial mismanagement. In April, more than 40 people signed a petition of no confidence in executive staff and called for an investigation. In response, the OLALC board ordered a review by commercial lawyer Reay McGuiness. While the review has not yet been made public, in a summary given to council members and seen by the ABC, it has recommended a raft of changes the organisation could make. The review summary said 35 members of OLALC were interviewed during the investigation, with thousands of pages of documents provided. "The board has complied with its statutory obligations of disclosure to members … and I [Reay McGuiness] have seen no evidence that employees have been appointed to positions not on merit but because of family connections," the summary stated. OLALC member Jason French said he and other members had no confidence in the review. At the end of May, Mr French lodged an objection to the proposed review process on behalf of a cohort of OLALC members. The objection letter, sent to OLALC, peak body NSW Aboriginal Land Council, and the registrar who regulates the organisation, described concerns about conflicts of interest and cultural inappropriateness within the review's process. "We had a number of members sign a petition saying that they felt there was a lack of transparency in the process of selecting [the reviewer]," Mr French said. Mr French said members did not receive a response. "The members are speaking out, and they are basically disregarding it," he said. Mr French said it should have been the regulator, the registrar, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, or a forensic auditor appointed to lead the review. "It was a pointless review. If they really wanted [to properly review the OLALC], they would have appointed someone [independent]," he said. Mr McGuiness and OLALC chair Jamie Newman both declined to be interviewed by the ABC. Mr Newman issued a statement that said the land council would implement all the review recommendations. "Just meeting our statutory obligations is not good enough … we want to continually improve … implementing all the recommendations will help us do that," he said. Mr Newman said the review was essential for self-determination and transparency. "Self-determination isn't just about rights, but also responsibilities and accountability," he said. Mr Newman urged members to accept the review's findings and get behind the purpose of the land council. "Our land council plays a vital role in supporting the Aboriginal people of Orange, promoting economic development, and protecting culture," he said. The summary of the review advised OLALC to improve its conflict resolution processes and the way it engages with its members: "The board does not presently have suitable processes to ensure that members have adequate engagement, participation and consultation on key issues." "The board should seek to have the member meetings either chaired or facilitated by an independent person with no existing connection to the OLALC and the Orange Aboriginal Community." The review summary also suggested the registrar or NSW Aboriginal Land Council could be asked to appoint a conciliator to ensure members' meetings are civil and constructive.
ABC News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council members reject board's proposed governance review
One of the largest local Aboriginal land councils in New South Wales has initiated a review of its governance as it battles allegations of nepotism and intimidation. But members of the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council (OLALC) have slammed the proposed probe, telling regulators it lacks transparency and sidelines them in their own complaints process. The review's rejection is the latest escalation between the OLALC's executive and its membership, and comes as the council's treatment of its members is under increasing scrutiny. It was announced last month at a heated extraordinary council meeting which culminated in an alleged verbal stoush between former OLALC board member Danielle Annesley and council chair Jamie Newman. Police have confirmed three people lodged reports against Mr Newman after the May 15 meeting, including Ms Annesley. The alleged confrontation occurred when Ms Annesley, an Aboriginal client community support officer on the OLALC board for 16 months, handed in her resignation as the meeting ended. She told the ABC she had become increasingly anxious about her role on the board. "I didn't think I'd get off so soon but I just feel it's a losing battle," she said. Ms Annesley said she had received a legal letter accusing her of "allegations without basis" after she raised concerns about nepotism at a February board meeting. "I found that really intimidating so I didn't attend the last two [board] meetings in person," she said. "I [attended] on Teams." Ms Annesley said she felt she had to report to police Mr Newman's alleged comments to her at the meeting. "He said, 'I know where you live,'" she said. Asked about the meeting, Mr Newman denied making the remark, although he said that given the chance he would do things differently. "I did not say those things," he said. "It might have got out of hand, I'd agree with that. It was a very emotional moment." CCTV footage of the venue appears to show a verbal confrontation between the pair before others intervene. Mr Newman said the CCTV showed he was defending himself. "I don't believe what I did was unsafe," he said. The OLALC has been grappling with a crisis after a petition by members flagging serious conduct concerns was lodged with the board and the NSW Office of the Registrar in April. Mr Newman said the registrar, who oversees land council complaints, had informed him the members' petition lodged in April was "invalid" because the registrar did not have the power to stand down executive staff. He said representatives of peak body, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC), explained that to members at the meeting which he believed was when it went off the rails. "The state body made it quite clear that their claims of the vote of no confidence, of the removal of the chairperson, the CEO and one of our positions within the organisation, were invalid," Mr Newman said "NSWALC made it quite clear on the night … and people didn't like it. "When people are upset and people are not happy with what's going on, then you're going to find a lot of emotion in the room." But petition organiser Jason French said he had had no communication from the registrar or NSWALC, other than a direction to lodge it with the board. "We'd followed the process correctly." He said the lack of regulatory action had shaken the trust members placed in adjudicators NSWALC and the Office of the Registrar given the nature of their allegations. "There's been no accountability by any peak body in terms of addressing these concerns," Mr French said. "They just don't seem to be taking it seriously." The review, led by Reay McGuiness of law firm Webb Henderson, is expected to take six to 12 weeks, with the final report going to OLALC's board before copies are made available for NSWALC, the registrar and the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Mr French said he had concerns about the review's independence since OLALC executive staff at the centre of the original complaint had also selected the reviewer. "They're just appointing who they want, asking what questions they want to get the response they need to justify what they're doing," Mr French said. "It's not being accountable to the members." Mr Newman disagreed. "We're the only land council in this country — or any Aboriginal organisation — that's initiated an internal review of our operations. "[It will] air all those concerns of the members and recommendations to us about how we move forward." However, the members' rejection of the review in a letter to the board and regulator casts doubt on the future of the process. "The independent governance review team is working for the OLALC board to get the best possible result for them against the OLALC members," the letter stated. "Moving forward, the members request an independent forensic audit and to be part of the decision-making process." NSWALC and the registrar declined to comment.
ABC News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council accused of attempts to intimidate members
The executives of a New South Wales Aboriginal land council have denied attempting to silence members who have made allegations of nepotism and financial mismanagement. Members of the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council (OLALC) in the state's Central West have made claims of a lack of transparency and conflicts of interest within the organisation. In April more than 40 people signed a petition of no confidence in executive staff and called for an investigation. OLALC has subsequently sent letters to several members, accusing them of misconduct and banning them from attending meetings. OLALC said the two matters were unrelated and that the letters were sent to a very small number of members in response to specific incidents after staff reported being bullied, threatened or abused. The no confidence petition was organised by OLALC member Jason French, who received correspondence last week accusing him of verbally abusing an employee in 2022 and barring him from attending meetings. "It was an incident regarding [mail] we kept receiving at my dad's address years after he had passed," he said. "Nearly three years later it all of a sudden pops up a couple of weeks after they received this petition? " They just want to silence people that speak up and question their actions and their motives behind what they're doing within the land council. " OLALC's chair and chief executive have not responded to the community petition. ( ABC Central West: Micaela Hambrett ) In March more than 30 OLALC members walked out of the annual general meeting after representatives for the chair and chief executive refused to answer questions. The petition outlines a "lack of transparency and accountability" regarding agreements between Orange Aboriginal Medical Service (OAMS) and the land council, which share board members and executive staff. Members expressed growing concerns about "potential conflicts of interest and nepotism within the leadership structure" and called for the appointment of a forensic auditor to investigate financial activity within OLALC over the past seven years. The petition was sent to OLALC's board and the Office of the Registrar, which administers land councils. It requested the OLALC board call an extraordinary meeting to vote on the motion. Les Powell says he received a threatening letter after signing the petition. ( ABC Central West: Micaela Hambrett ) 'An attack to shut us up' The ABC has seen letters sent to four members banning them from attending future meetings, though the correspondence states that access to the land council office can be restored if the members undertake appropriate training and commit to stop behaving in an aggressive way towards staff. Les Powell received a letter accusing him of being "demanding and intimidating" to two staff, which he said was "devastating". "I refute those accusations," he said. "It's obviously an attack to shut us up." Neil Ingram Sr also signed the no confidence motion. "OLALC are not in line with Wiradjuri cultural protocols or the Land Rights Act," the elder said. Neil Ingram Sr says land councils belong to the members. ( ABC Central West: Micaela Hambrett ) Mr Ingram Sr received a letter accusing him of being "loud, abusive and angry" to an employee, which he denied. He said the letters followed a pattern of intimidation towards OLALC members who spoke out. "I got the letter from the [legal] officer who is exercising his power, control and authority over me," Mr Ingram Sr said. " Our members are not allowed to ask questions, which to me is very sad and very dangerous. " Before Mr Ingram Sr signed the petition he had filed formal complaints with the Office of the Registrar and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council. In one complaint he alleged the OLALC chair threatened to "uppercut" him at a member's meeting. Mr Ingram said he had not received any response to his complaints. The letters state that access to the Land Council office can be restored if members undertake appropriate training and make a commitment to stop behaving aggressively to staff. Family ties 'irrelevant', chair says OLALC chair Jamie Newman said the land council had a responsibility to protect its staff and denied the letters were intended to intimidate members. "The letters were sent to a very small number of members in response to specific incidents where staff reported being bullied, threatened or abused," he said. " Everyone has the right to a safe workplace. " The staff members who alleged they were bullied were the children of the chief executive and the legal officer. Mr Newman, whose niece is on the OLALC board and whose son stepped down as vice-chair in February, denied claims of nepotism and conflicts of interest. Jamie Newman says people who have issues with the council's governance should put their hand up for election. ( ABC News: Hugh Hogan ) "The land council board is democratically elected by its members and where they work or who they are related to is irrelevant," he said. "If members are dissatisfied with the composition of the board we encourage them to nominate for election." Mr Newman is also the chief executive of the Orange Aboriginal Medical Service (OAMS). He said only three board members worked at the OAMS and that "overlap" between the services was inevitable. An OLALC extraordinary meeting was called on April 26 to be held on May 15, which met the requirement of 21 days' notice under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. The public notice did not refer to the vote of no confidence and said the meeting would "solely" provide members with information about an "independent governance review", which it claimed was an initiative of the board. In a statement the Office of the Registrar's principle legal advisor told the ABC that the registrar was satisfied the OLALC board was addressing members' concerns. The NSW Aboriginal Land Council declined to comment for this story.
