Archive Article: Indigenous Communities And Australian Business 5 July 02
December 29, 2008

July 7 is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday. This is an opportunity to reflect on the place of Indigenous Peoples in Australia. One area of concern is the high rate of unemployment among Indigenous Peoples.

Wesley Mission has been a trendsetter in the employment of Indigenous Peoples. For example, it has helped establish the Mimi Mothers who support women and their families throughout the Nambucca Valley on the mid-north coast of NSW. The Mimi Mothers centre also provides an opportunity for mothers to participate in arts and crafts and develop life skills. It is also acting as support centre for isolated men with emotional problems.

Given what Wesley Mission is doing, it is worth looking at the wider context of the relationship of Indigenous Peoples within Australia’s economic life. The Business Council of Australia recently issued the first national report on Business-Indigenous Collaboration. The report has been compiled by The Allen Consulting Group and it is entitled “Indigenous Communities and Australian Business”.

The report found a wide variety and intensity of collaborative activity. There is an increasing number of companies involved, though admittedly the increase is coming off a small initial number. Activities range from large highly developed programmes for training and employment (such as Wesley Mission’s), business development and community development across to small-scale mentoring and philanthropy.

The report also found that the effort involved to get the projects to work is extensive but that in the long-term the benefits do outweigh the costs. For Indigenous communities, the benefits include employment and economic development, improved community infrastructure development, new business opportunities and alternatives to a “welfare future”. They are receiving a hand-up – and not just a hand-out.

Meanwhile for businesses, the benefits included access to new markets, positive impacts on corporate culture and values, access to reliable labour supply and the enhancement of reputation.

Among the lessons the report identified were: not being afraid to make mistakes, building initiatives on negotiation and collaboration, and embedding activities throughout the business.

The report also identified some recommendations for government: there needs to be a greater understanding of the commercial aspects of business development, less centralized control, more support for holistic community development, and a move to a position of “partner” than “purchaser”.

Meredith Hellicar is the Chair of the Business Council of Australia Task Force on Business-Indigenous Collaboration. She said that the experience in the United States, Canada and New Zealand provided evidence that Indigenous community and business partnerships could play a major role in Indigenous community development.

Judging from this report, Australia is evidently heading in the right direction – albeit at a slower pace than in some other countries. Wesley Mission is pleased to be associated with this development and is playing its part.

Broadcast On Friday 5th July 2002 On Radio 2GB’s “Brian Wilshire Programme” At 9pm And On 7th July 2002 On “Sunday Night Live” At 10.30pm