ACTING chief executive officer of the Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Community and Medical Services Alan Eldridge said better times were ahead for the troubled organisation and the community it serves.
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Mr Eldridge took control of the Bega-based service when it was placed under special administration in December due to alleged misappropriation of funds by former board members.
The Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) is currently investigating more than $600,000 in unauthorised payments made to Katungul’s former CEO, Damien Matcham.
Mr Eldridge said he had been unable to contact Mr Matcham and had terminated his employment.
Katungul’s former chairman, Ron Mason, has also “gone to ground”.
An inquiry into Mr Matcham’s actions will be back before Sydney’s Federal Court on June 1 and, while it is unclear if criminal charges will eventuate, Mr Eldridge said he expected they would.
“It’s not for me to make judgments, but the facts speak for themselves,” Mr Eldridge said.
“Mr Matcham’s office is now under my control and I have access to his documents – it’s clear he made a lot of complaints with little basis, blaming all and sundry when he should have got in and done the job.
“There is a huge element of trust involved in a position like that and sometimes that trust is violated.”
It is not the first time Katungul has been under administration and, while its Bega and Narooma clinics are operating as normal, Mr Eldridge said improvements needed to be made.
One noticeable difference in direction, he said, would be more outreach services.
“We are re-evaluating the service,” Mr Eldridge said.
“Among other things, organisations like Katungul need to get their tentacles out in the community rather than sitting back and waiting for people to walk in the door.”
The Eldridge Group will act as administrators until June, after which, control will be handed over to an ORIC-appointed board.
“It will still be community-controlled, but you can expect to see a very different model,” Mr Eldridge said.
Member for Eden-Monaro Mike Kelly, who had been accused by Mr Matcham of not being committed to the service and prompted the audit of its finances, said the Federal Government was working with the administrator to get Katungul back “on an even keel”.
“The regrettable state of belligerence we saw in the past unfortunately distracted from the delivery of services,” Mr Kelly said.
“The Commonwealth Government is determined to continue supporting Katungul and maintaining our
strong focus on Indigenous health.”
In the coming months, ORIC will consult with the community on the make-up of the new board.
Meeting details will be made public when they are finalised.
Katungul’s Bega clinic is currently open Monday to Thursday, from 9am until 5pm.
