Portfolio Bodies and Statutory Office Holders 

The FaHCSIA portfolio includes a number of statutory and non-statutory portfolio bodies and statutory office holders.

The Department provides advice to the Minister on strategic governance issues associated with portfolio bodies including Ministerial appointments, performance outcomes and their contribution to the Government’s broader policy agenda.

Aboriginal Hostels Limited (AHL)

• AHL provides safe, comfortable, affordable and culturally appropriate accommodation for Indigenous Australians who must live away from home to access services and economic opportunity.
  • Aboriginal Hostels Limited website

Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS)

• Established in 1980 as an independent, statutory authority, the role of the Australian Institute of Family Studies is to conduct research and communicate findings that affect family wellbeing to policy makers, service providers and the broader community.
  • Australian Institute of Family Studies website

Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA)

• EOWA is a statutory authority whose role is to administer the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 and through education, assist organisations to achieve equal opportunity for women in Australian workplaces.
  • Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency website

Indigenous Business Australia (IBA)

• IBA’s programs provide the means for Indigenous Australians to create wealth and accumulate assets, take up mainstream investment opportunities, create business enterprises that provide additional employment opportunities, and purchase homes.
  • Indigenous Business Australia website

Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC)

• ILC’s purpose is to assist Indigenous people to acquire and manage land to achieve economic, environmental, social and cultural benefits.
  • Indigenous Land Corporation website

Outback Stores Pty Ltd

• Outback Stores is a Government owned company with an independent board that manages remote stores on behalf of Indigenous communities. It was set up in 2006 to help make stores functional and viable while meeting the long-term health and nutritional needs of Indigenous communities by applying good management and retail practices to remote community stores.
  
  Outback Stores respects and builds strong relationships with the communities it works with.  It provides management services for a fee, with all profits returned to the community.
  • Outback Stores website

Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT)

• The SSAT is the first level of external merits review of decisions made by Centrelink about social security, family assistance, education or training and parental leave payments. The SSAT is also the only level of external merits review of most decisions made by the Child Support Agency. Its statutory objective is to provide a mechanism of review that is 'fair, just, economical, informal and quick'.
  • Social Security Appeals Tribunal website

Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA)

• The TSRA’s outcome is to progress towards closing the gap for Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people living in the Torres Strait Region through development planning, coordination, sustainable resource management, and preservation and promotion of Indigenous culture. 
  • Torres Strait Regional Authority website

Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council

• Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council administers the ownership and management of the land and waters within the Jervis Bay Territory and represents community interests.
  • Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council website

Northern Territory Land Councils

Anindilyakwa Land Council

• The Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) is a Commonwealth statutory authority established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.
  
  ALC's primary focus is act as the peak representative body for the three communities of Angurugu, Umbakumba and Milyakburra on Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island and associated outstations. Other priorities include assisting the communities with land, sea and natural resource management and economic development.
  • Anindilyakwa Land Council website

Central Land Council

• The Central Land Council (CLC) is a Commonwealth statutory authority established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and is also a Native Title Representative Body under the Native Title Act 1993.
  
  The CLC region covers the southern half of the Northern Territory, an area of around 750,000 square kilometres.   The Council is made up of 90 elected members speaking around 15 languages and representing 75 communities in Central Australia.  The CLC represents traditional owners and Aboriginal people on land related matters including land and native title claims, land use and management, community development, economic development and general advocacy.
  • Central Land Council website

Northern Land Council

• The Northern Land Council (NLC) is a Commonwealth statutory authority established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and is also a Native Title Representative Body under the Native Title Act 1993.
  
  The NLC region covers the Top End or northern half of the Northern Territory, including the offshore area.   The Full Northern Land Council is made up of 82 traditional owner members who are representative of the region.  The NLC represents traditional owners and Aboriginal people in its region particularly on land and sea/water related matters including land and native title claims, land use and management including land and sea ranger programme, and economic development.
  • Northern Land Council website

Tiwi Land Council

• The Tiwi Land Council (TLC) is a Commonwealth statutory authority established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.
  
  TLC was established to consult and manage free-hold land granted by the Commonwealth to and for the benefit of traditional owners of that land. The Tiwi Land Council consults with those owners and other indigenous Australians on Bathurst and Melville Islands about the use and management of the land and the resources of the land; including those economic development opportunities that these resources and use may provide.
  • Tiwi Land Council website

A statutory office holder is a person who holds a position to which duties and functions are specifically assigned in legislation (as opposed to people who carry out the duties and functions assigned to a body established in legislation).

Four statutory office holders in the FaHCSIA portfolio exercise independent statutory functions with administrative support from the Department:

Aboriginal Land Commissioner

• The Commissioner’s primary function is to inquire into traditional land claim applications made under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and to report his findings and recommendations as to the granting of title of claimed land to the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and to the Administrator of the Northern Territory.
  •  Aboriginal Land Commissioner's Reports

Executive Director of Township Leasing

• The Executive Director, Township Leasing is an independent statutory office holder who works with communities to ensure that the township lease is managed effectively and provides a real benefit to the community. 
  • Office of Township Leasing website

Coordinator General for Remote Indigenous Services

• The functions of the Coordinator General are the development and delivery of government services and facilities in each of the specified remote communities to a standard broadly comparable with that in non-Indigenous communities of similar size, location and needs elsewhere in Australia.
  • Office for the Coordinator General of Remote Indigenous Services website

Registrar of Indigenous Corporations

• The Registrar supports and regulates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006. The Registrar is supported by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. 
• Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations website

The Department supports the Minister in making appointments to significant positions in portfolio bodies such as Directors of statutory authorities and Commonwealth

Interested Persons Register

The Department maintains a database of highly qualified people interested in ministerial appointment to positions on boards and committees within the portfolio.

The Register provides individuals with an opportunity to express their interest in contributing to closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage by setting the strategic agenda for a range of portfolio bodies.

The Department welcomes expressions of interest at any time throughout the year.

The Register contains limited personal details and has safeguards in place to protect privacy in line with the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988.

How to apply

To submit an expression of interest for inclusion onto the Interested Persons Register, email a curriculum vitae including employment history, qualifications and relevant board experience to IPR@fahcsia.gov.au.

Further information about the Interested Persons Register and lodging an expression of interest is available by calling 1300 883 460 or email IPR@fahcsia.gov.au.

Statutory Appointment - Executive Director of Township Leasing

Applications for the statutory position of Executive Director of Township Leasing have now closed.

Further information

Centro case: Implications for FaHCSIA portfolio bodies

This Fact Sheet provides portfolio agencies operating under the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (CAC Act) an overview of the implications of a recent significant Federal Court of Australia decision.