Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation (GKBAC) advises members that the Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations, through ORIC, has made changes to GKBAC’s Rule Book.
These changes were initiated by the Registrar. They were not changes initiated by GKBAC, the GKBAC Board or GKBAC members. The changes took effect on 25 September 2026.
Changes to our Rule Book are important for GKBAC and our members. The Board is reviewing the amendments and seeking appropriate advice about their implications for the Corporation’s governance arrangements and its obligations under the Noongar Settlement.
Our priority remains protecting the interests of GKB members and ensuring the Corporation has a Rule Book that supports strong, accountable, workable and culturally appropriate governance.
The Board will keep members informed of significant developments.
What has changed?
The changes mainly relate to director eligibility, appointments, elections and vacancies. ORIC has also removed provisions that were no longer relevant now that GKBAC has been operating for a number of years.
In summary, the changes:
remove outdated references to GKBAC's initial directors and directors on registration;
require greater transparency where a director candidate is assessed as ineligible, including providing the Returning Officer with the reasons for ineligibility;
change some director qualities, such as financial literacy, leadership and board experience, from eligibility requirements to desirable attributes, while retaining more objective eligibility requirements;
provide additional ways to fill Member Director vacancies where there are insufficient candidates from the most recent election, instead of requiring another by-election;
allow appointments to be made where necessary to ensure the Corporation has enough directors to operate and form a quorum; and
clarify when the appointment of a Member Director filling a casual vacancy takes effect.
Members who would like more detail can read ORIC's full summary of the amendments below.
Rule Book documents
The following documents are available for members' information and reference:
Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation Rule Book as endorsed by ORIC September 2026
Previous Rule Book, superseded by the September 2026 version
ORIC Summary of Rule Book Changes - explains the changes; read alongside the subsequent correction.