By Andrew Kay, CEO South Australian Business Chamber
For at least 60,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have lived on the land we know as Australia. The production and trade amongst our First Nation peoples was the effectively the business of its time. Their entrepreneurial spirit was very apparent through innovations such as thermoplastic resins, weirs and fish traps, water bags, and stone and natural glass tools.
Here in South Australia, we talk about all our ‘firsts’, like the first woman to have a vote or seat in Parliament. South Australia has a new first now, with our first Commissioner for First Nations Voice appointed. With this appointment, 2022 NAIDOC week in South Australia becomes even more significant. When starting the role later this month, Mr Dale Agius will guide the government’s consultation with Aboriginal groups and lead a South Australian ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’.
Indigenous business in Australia contributes $4.9b to the economy. That in itself is a number that should be recognised and celebrated. It is complemented by the significant social and cultural benefits that also arise from this commercial activity.
The Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership reminds us that Indigenous businesses are vibrant and operate in every sector. Still, we know very little about them. An ongoing research project called ‘The Snapshot’ provides a bridge in this data gap, linking enterprises on Indigenous business registries to data held by the ABS.
Over the 12 years examined from 2006 – 2018, researchers observed a 74 per cent increase in the number of businesses operating in the Indigenous business sector, a more than doubling in gross income from the sector (115 per cent growth) and more than 22,000 jobs created (100 per cent growth). Indigenous businesses are less likely to be sole traders or categorised as small businesses, generating gross income four times that of non-Indigenous businesses. These are businesses that we all want to work with.
As the peak industry body in South Australia, the South Australian Business Chamber has a responsibility to lead from the front in recognising and celebrating South Australia’s Indigenous business community. This is why the South Australian Business Chamber is committing to a reconciliation action plan to create a pathway to work with our Indigenous members and better understand how we can help create opportunities and raise their profile across the South Australian business community.
During my time as CEO of Wirra Wirra, I was fortunate to have been part of the initial stages of their reconciliation plan. While I found it personally rewarding, there is no question that the process helps businesses take the first steps toward improving cultural understanding and hopefully, engagement with their local First Nations community.
We are proud to conduct our business on the traditional lands of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains. The South Australian Business Chamber encourages all businesses to use 2022 NAIDOC Week to reflect on the possibilities of a genuinely diverse South Australian business sector.
