Multimillion-dollar charity Bynoe Community Advancement Co-Operative Society stands down CEO in mysterious circumstances

Mystery surrounds a shock move to stand down the CEO of a multimillion-dollar north Queensland charity following a number of complaints.

The co-op runs employment and youth programs as well as a catering service and community centre for Normanton, one of Queensland’s most remote townships. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Mystery surrounds a shock move to stand down the CEO of a multimillion-dollar north Queensland charity specialising in Indigenous housing in the remote gulf community of Normanton.

Bynoe Community Advancement Co-Operative Society Ltd boss Letitia Rainbow was stood down earlier this month and an interim CEO appointed in her place following a number of complaints.

The organisation’s 50-plus employees were informed of the move in an email sent to staff two weeks ago, but little detail was shared on the reason for Ms Rainbow’s sudden disappearance.

Questions from the Sunday Mail to Bynoe were referred to acting CEO Owen Richardson who declined to elaborate.

“As you can appreciate, I’m unable to comment on staff-related matters,” he said.

Bynoe has been a fixture of the Normanton community since its inception in the 1970s, with a focus on delivering affordable housing and other support initiatives for the region’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The co-op also runs employment and youth programs as well as a catering service and community centre for Normanton, one of Queensland’s most remote townships which sits almost 700km west of Cairns in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Ms Rainbow’s sudden absence from Bynoe just weeks out from Christmas has been the talk of the town in the community of 1300 people.

She was appointed as co-CEO in 2021 – ironically sharing the role with Mr Richardson, before he left the organisation last year and Ms Rainbow took on the position in her own right.

Last year Bynoe generated more than $13 million in revenue, with almost $11m coming from various government grants and programs, for a profit of almost $5m.

In addition to her role at Bynoe, Ms Rainbow this year launched an unsuccessful tilt at local government, running for a Carpentaria Shire Council seat at the March election.

The Sunday Mail attempted to contact Ms Rainbow for comment.

Originally published as Multimillion-dollar charity Bynoe Community Advancement Co-Operative Society stands down CEO in mysterious circumstances