The Tribunal held that an inquorate meeting of a Local Aboriginal Land Council Board is a 'meeting of the Board' for the purposes of the vacancy provision in s 67 of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW), meaning Board members who are absent from such meetings may vacate office. The Tribunal further held that a chairperson has a residual common law power to adjourn an inquorate meeting, derived from the duty to regulate proceedings recognised in Byng v London Life Association, and that this power is not displaced by the express statutory provisions dealing with adjournment of quorate meetings. On the question of reasonable notice, the Tribunal determined that 'reasonable notice' under s 67(1)(b) is a flexible concept not fixed by statute or by an alleged common policy position of 7 clear days, and that 6 clear days' notice is ordinarily sufficient for Board meetings.
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