Auditors for 2014

Friday, March 14, 2014 

All Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs) are aware of the recent amendments to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (ALRA) which changed the way that auditors are to be appointed to LALCs.

Until now NSWALC had the statutory responsibility to run a public tender process to select auditors that it subsequently appointed to LALCs to conduct their annual audit.

Now LALCs have the right and the statutory responsibility to appoint their own auditors from a list created by NSWALC.

In order to be entered on to NSWALC's list of accepted auditors an auditor must be appropriately qualified and either be:

•  registered company auditor or
• A member of the National Institute of Chartered Accountants or
•   A member of Certified Practicing Accountants (CPA) Australia or
• A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia

 This is a requirement of the ALRA.

NSWALC has now created the required list. It has done so in several ways.

Firstly it looked at those auditors who responded to NSWALC's previous public tenders in 2010 and 2013. Those auditors selected by NSWALC at those times were subjected to a rigorous assessment process before being appointed to LALCs.

Their continuing interest in providing audit services to LALCs has now been established and their registration and membership of the organisations required by the ALRA has been checked. Importantly they have given their written consent to be included on the list.

LALCs were also invited to advise any auditors they considered suitable to express interest to NSWALC. All LALCs have therefore been given the opportunity to participate in helping to formulate the list.

The list of eligible auditors has now been finalised for 2014. All LALCs can rest assured the auditors on that list fully comply with the requirements of the amended ALRA.

The list contains 72 auditors who meet ALRA requirements. Now LALCs are free to choose their auditor for this current financial year ending June 2014.

Your respective Zone Director has this list. All LALCs should now contact the Zone Offices for assistance in selecting an appropriately qualified and located auditor to conduct this year's audit.

Lesley Turner

Acting Chief Executive Officer