In December 2019, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt announced a comprehensive review of the CATSI Act to ensure the Act establishes a framework for the incorporation, regulation and support of Indigenous corporations which is contemporary and fit-for-purpose.

The results from the first phase of the review are now available.

The survey received 60 responses and a further eight submissions were received by email.

The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) has published a report summarising the results of the survey on the CATSI Act review website.

Governance was the area considered important to most survey respondents.

Additional areas of interest for respondents included:

• increased support for corporations, especially for remote organisations;
• implementation of streamlined and simplified processes;
• consistency between the CATSI Act and other legislative instruments and regulatory frameworks; and
• ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tradition and cultural practice is appropriately accommodated by the CATSI Act.

Survey responses and the submissions received will be used to inform the next stage of consultation which will open later in 2020.