§ Aboriginal people of Australia were successful traders for centuries
§ The Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council negotiated the largest commercial deal in the history of Land Rights in NSW
§ The Darkinjung LALC CDEP administers in excess of $1.5M per annum for the purpose of providing training and employment initiatives to the Aboriginal community of the Central Coast
§ The Yerin Aboriginal Health Services manages in excess of $1M per annum administering Health programs to the Aboriginal community of the Central Coast
§ Increasing employment is a widely-shared aspiration among Aboriginal people, and one consistently advocated by Aboriginal leaders
§ Aboriginal people are valued as stable, reliable employees who contribute in many ways to corporate and public sector performance
§ Under the Community Development Employment Program, Aboriginal people work for their unemployment benefits.
§ The NSW Aboriginal Land Council manages an Investment Fund in excess of $500M on behalf of the Aboriginal People in NSW
§ The Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council is one of the major private land owners in the Wyong Shire
§ Many Aboriginal organisations use an inclusive and consensus based decision process that ensures decisions have the support needed to make them effective and successful
§ Decision-making in community controlled organisations may be more complex and time consuming than in individually owned enterprises, however, this too builds support for decisions once they are taken
Myth: Aboriginal People cannot keep politics out of business decisions
§ Although for many Aboriginal communities, political and business decisions are interdependent, Aboriginal leaders increasingly recognise that the proper sphere for government is in deciding on the strategy for community business development. Day-to-day operational decisions are the responsibility of the managers of an organization, including those that are owned collectively by communities.
§ Risk is inherent in any business relationship. What is important is to understand the nature and sources of the risk and to manage it.
§ Corporations must be concerned about profit. Without profit the company will go out of business.
§ Trade is a vital part of the economy and the private sector is the largest employer of Australians
§ Business is a competitive movement. To compete, businesses often strive to increase their share of markets as a means of achieving superior performance
§ A variety of laws are in place to control inappropriate corporate behaviour and to ensure the rights of workers, competitors, customers and other stakeholders
§ Corporations recognise that they must earn their respect and their licence to practice
§ Corporations are learning that they have to cooperate and collaborate with Aboriginal organisations in order to be successful
§ Mutual benefit, rather than exploitation, is becoming the way of doing business. This is part of a larger trend in business toward the development of alliances and networked organisations
§ Many Aboriginal communities have forged long-standing partnerships with non-Aboriginal corporations. In these partnerships, community objectives have been met and Aboriginal values respected
§ Most corporations conduct their business relationships within a climate of trust. Trust is increasingly recognised as a strategic asset which must be earned and maintained if the corporation is to enjoy long-term success
§ Corporations increasingly recognise that they must earn the trust of Aboriginal organisations. These organisations are often aligned with traditional Aboriginal values.
§ There are many opportunities for partnerships in Gosford and Wyong Local Government Areas.
§ Opportunities for both Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal communities/corporations arise from the growth in Aboriginal economies
§ There are many success stories in all major sectors of the economy
§ Aboriginal people are increasingly able to bring knowledge, skills, experience and resources to a partnership
§ The number of successful partnerships on the Central Coast increases each year
§ Partnership is about being stronger together than either partner would be alone
§ There are barriers to partnership; however, these barriers are surmountable if the partners learn how to work together
§ There are many sources of advice and assistance that can help overcome barriers that exist
