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NLC to tackle claims of misuse of funds

Turmoil and power struggles at the powerful Indigenous Northern Land Council will come to a head with allegations aired.

The Northern Territory's most powerful Indigenous authority the Northern Land Council will hold meetings for all of its 83 members this week to tackle allegations of poor governance and conflicts of interest.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion ordered the NLC to hold a full council meeting after an audit was released into the allegations.

The most serious of these was a deal in which the NLC has leased its Darwin headquarters from its own subsidiary and landlord Aboriginal Investment Group for about $1 million per year since 2007.

However, there were millions of dollars transferred between NLC entities examined in the audit report.

Former NLC chief executive Joe Morrison tried to get the rent reduced after a valuation found he should be paying $685,000 to $710,000 but the subsidiary, whose board is almost identical to the NLC's nine-member executive, refused.

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Mr Morrison made those allegations after a falling-out with the executive which culminated in him being sacked.

He was also the subject of misconduct allegations over his job, which included an affair with a female staffer who was also given a significant pay rise but soured with the married Mr Morrison receiving a domestic violence order.

The NLC is a federal statutory authority that represents traditional owners on land and sea rights.


2 min read

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Source: AAP


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