Regional Goal
Effective and transparent self-government with strong leadership.
Programme Goals
The Governance and Leadership Programme goal is:
- to support positive and meaningful outcomes for people in leadership, communication and governance. The programme will work towards achieving equality in leadership, as appropriate to Ailan Kastom, by delivering targeted activities for women and youth.
Governance and Leadership team.
Programme Objectives
The Governance and Leadership Programme component will:
- involve Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal leaders in legislative processes, policies and priorities
- undertake capacity building for current and future leaders across the region
- support effective regional communication
- coordinate the integration of the delivery of government services to the region
- develop the capacity of PBCs in the region
- improve the governance and leadership capacity of the Torres Strait Regional Authority
Programme Deliverables
- Implementation of the National Indigenous Reform Agreement service delivery principles.
- Appropriate Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal participation in decision-making.
- Improved communication, cultural competence and service delivery within a community development framework across governments.
- Strong Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal organisational leadership and governance.
- Strong PBC leadership and governance.
Mer Tier 1 MOU signing.
Programme Expenditure 2014 - 2015
Table 2-20: Governance and Leadership Expenditure, 2014 - 2015 (unaudited)
| Budget $’000 |
Actual $’000 |
Variance $’000 |
|---|---|---|
| 5,412 | 5,336 | 76 |
Torres Strait Development Plan Programme Outcomes
- Implementation of the National Indigenous Reform Agreement service delivery principles.
- Appropriate Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal participation in decision-making.
- Improved communication, cultural competence and service delivery within a community developed framework across governments.
- Strong Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal organisational leadership and governance.
- Strong Prescribed Bodies Corporate leadership and governance.
Programme Performance
| Activity | Flag | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Community consultation and engagement |
|
At the request of community leaders, community consultation and engagement processes for two Northern Peninsula Area communities (Bamaga and Seisia) and two Torres Strait communities (Hammond and Saibai) were not completed in 2014 - 2015, and were rescheduled for 2015 - 2016. |
| ISD community booklets |
|
Community booklets were completed for 15 communities (the results are shown in Section 3, Report of Operations). Community engagement activities need to be completed before the remaining booklets can be updated. |
| Media and communications support |
|
This is a contracted activity through Zakazukha Marketing Communications. In 2014 - 2015, 85 media releases were produced. |
| Internal and external audit support |
|
Both the external and internal audit programmes were completed. Audit recommendation tracking and status reports were provided at four Audit Committee meetings. |
| Assistance with Tertiary Education Scheme (ATES) |
|
12 tertiary scholarships were offered in 2014 - 2015. Ten students met the pass criteria in the first semester to qualify for the second semester support payment. |
| Board and Chairperson support |
|
Four executive meetings, four Audit Committee meetings and four Board meetings were conducted in 2014 - 2015. Executive assistance was provided to the TSRA Chairperson. |
| Board Strategic Workshop |
|
Eleven Board members attended the Board Strategic Workshop held in November 2014. The workshop focused on the change from the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (Cth) to the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth). The Board also examined the alignment of the TSRA’s programme outcomes to the Indigenous Advancement Strategy programme streams. |
| Capacity building Gur A Baradharaw Kod Sea and Land Council (NTRB Transition) |
|
The level of TSRA support to the Gur A Baradharaw Kod (GBK) Sea and Land Council is on schedule. GBK are still developing their procedures and employment contracts. |
| Indigenous leadership |
|
In 2014 - 2015, one person was supported to complete the Australian Rural Leadership Programme; seven people completed the Training Rural Australians in Leadership programme. |
| PBC support and capacity building |
|
All 21 PBCs met the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations compliance requirements as at 31 December 2014. Two PBCs reduced their dependency on grant funding by moving to fee-for-service activities. |
| Support to regional broadcasting |
|
The Torres Strait Islanders Media Association met their broadcasting hours and local content targets. A new recording studio was completed in 2014 - 2015, enabling the local production of music CDs, electronic recordings and live music broadcasts. |
| Women’s and youths’ leadership |
|
Participation in the youth leadership programme and the women’s leadership programme has increased. There has been an improvement in the number of youth completing the physically demanding ‘Outward Bound’ component of the youth programme. |
| Legend | |||
|
Not yet started |
Completed / On schedule |
Behind schedule less than three months |
Behind schedule more than three months |
Torres Strait Youth Leadership Scholarship participants at the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
Additional Programme Specific Performance Indicators
| Indicator | Flag | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Achieve a minimum of 20 per cent increase in access to services over the life of the Torres Strait Development Plan 2014 - 2018 measured from the 2012 baseline Regional Plan Community Booklets. |
|
The Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Plan (2009 - 2029) identified 1,608(1) service gaps.(2) In 2012 - 2013, 372 (23 per cent) had been fully addressed. This increased to 773 (48 per cent) in 2013 - 2014 and 1,034 (64 per cent) in 2014 - 2015. An analysis of the service gaps is shown in Section 3 of this report. |
| Increase in Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Women with the capacity to participate in leadership roles in the region measured from the 2012 baseline. |
|
The 2012 baseline was six. Four women completed the Torres Strait Women’s Leadership Programme (TSWLP) in 2013 - 2014 and ten are enrolled in the 2014 - 2015 TSWLP. The TSWLP is delivered in partnership with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. Three of the past six participants in the Australian Rural Leadership Programme were women. |
| Increase in Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal youth (18-25) with the capacity to participate in leadership development activities measured from the 2012 baseline. |
|
Training Rural Australian in Leadership (TRAIL):
|
| Legend | |||
|
Not yet started |
KPI achieved |
KPI partially achieved |
KPI not achieved |
| 1. The community consultations conducted in 2014 - 2015 identified that some community booklets contained duplicate entries of gaps in services. Five duplications were removed, reducing the baseline from 1,613 reported in 2013 - 2014 to 1,608 this year. 2. The service gaps were identified in 2009 - 2010 as part of the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area Regional Plan (2009 - 2029) development process. |
|||
Helicopter is the only form of air transport into Ugar and Dauan islands.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
- Increase the level of engagement of elected Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal leaders in policy development and decision-making.
- Achieve a minimum 20 per cent increase in access to services over the life of the Torres Strait Development Plan (2014 - 2018), measured from the 2012 Baseline Regional Plan Community Booklets.
- Number of PBCs that achieve Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) compliance as at 31 December each year.
- Increase in Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal women with the capacity to participate in leadership roles in the region measured from the 2012 baseline.
- Increase in Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal youth (18 – 25) with the capacity to participate in leadership development activities measured from the 2012 baseline.
Figure 2-7: Governance and Leadership Programme Map
Case Study: Supporting Prescribed Bodies Corporate
The TSRA provides capacity-building and basic operational funding support to Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBCs) based in the Torres Strait area. The RNTBCs or Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs), as they are commonly referred to, play a crucial role in managing native title and representing the interests of Traditional Owners.
The level of funding for PBCs in the Torres Strait area is determined by the TSRA Board and an allocation is made from within the TSRA’s budget appropriation under the Governance and Leadership Programme. The TSRA does not receive external or additional funding to support PBCs.
One of the challenges in determining appropriate levels of support funding is the varying capacity and operational capability of the 21 PBCs in the Torres Strait area. As PBCs mature their governance models and develop the capacity to manage their own operations, it is expected that their reliance on grant funding to support their operations will decrease. The TSRA has developed a PBC capability maturity model to assist it to target PBCs with the greatest developmental needs. Conversely, PBCs demonstrating good levels of capacity should be expected to earn operational funding on a fee-for-service basis.
In 2014 - 2015, the TSRA changed its PBC support model to a two-tier arrangement designed to align funding with governance capacity and operational needs.
Tier One applies to PBCs required by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) to produce audited financial statements. Generally these PBCs demonstrate good capacity to manage their own finance and administration and conduct transactions with a turnover greater than $100,000 per year. Tier One PBCs are able to effectively engage with their native title holders without external assistance. Tier One PBCs are offered an option to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the TSRA as their supporting Native Title Representative Body (NTRB). The MOA specifies the functions PBCs will undertake on behalf of the NTRB or provide to other entities. The PBC negotiates a fee for these services. Tier One PBCs are responsible for generating their own income and for managing their own business, although the NTRB continues to provide assistance with legal representation on native title determinations, Future Acts and Indigenous Land Use Agreements. Money earned by the PBCs under fee for service is received into their general accounts for use in accordance with each PBC’s rule book. There are no external reporting or acquittal requirements. Tier One PBCs are not eligible to apply for grant funding for operations or capacity building.
TSRA Chairperson and Chairperson of Mer Gedkem Le signing the Tier 1 MOU.
Tier Two applies to PBCs who do not meet the Tier One criteria. These PBCs are required to maintain a basic level of legislative compliance specified by ORIC and to effectively engage with their native title holders, with assistance if required. Generally these PBCs are reliant on grant funding for more than 80 per cent of their operations and have infrequent transactions, with turnover less than $100,000 per year. Tier Two PBCs are fully supported by the TSRA and can apply for PBC support grant funding in line with the TSRA’s PBC grant guidelines. Fee-for-service activity is encouraged but generally provides only a small component of operational costs. Money required by the PBC under grant funding arrangements is received into their grant accounts for use in accordance with an approved budget. Grant funding is externally reported and full acquittal is required. The Tier Two support model is similar to the funding arrangements the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has with the NTRBs that assist PBCs on the mainland.
Since the introduction of the two-tier model, the TSRA has entered into MOAs with the Mura Badulgal RNTBC (Badu Island) and the Mer Gedkem Le RNTBC (Mer Island). These PBCs now have full responsibility for managing land tenure in their respective communities following the transfer of the Deed of Grant in Trust on Badu Island to Mura Badulgal RNTBC in February 2014 and the reserve land on Mer Island to the Mer Gedkem Le RNTBC in December 2012.