❓ The Minister for Regional Development outlines government initiatives supporting Aboriginal business development, job creation, and training in regional WA, highlighting specific programs and investments.
AnsweredQoN 886Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ABORIGINAL BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT — REGIONS
886. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Regional
Development:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's support for the development of jobs and economic
opportunities for Aboriginal people.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how measures delivered by this government across
regional Western Australia are developing Indigenous business capacity?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these measures are creating new jobs and training
opportunities for Aboriginal people?
DEVELOPMENT — REGIONS
886. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Regional
Development:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's support for the development of jobs and economic
opportunities for Aboriginal people.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how measures delivered by this government across
regional Western Australia are developing Indigenous business capacity?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these measures are creating new jobs and training
opportunities for Aboriginal people?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I certainly can. But before I do, I acknowledge
and thank the member for Kimberley for her fantastic work in supporting
the recovery from the Kimberley floods and her engagement of local Aboriginal
people in employment opportunities as part of that recovery. That is a textbook
piece of work and I acknowledge the member in this place.
Thanks to the financial discipline of
the Cook Labor government, we have been able to invest a record amount of
infrastructure funding into regional WA—over $11 billion. But not only
that, we are also investing in economic diversification and new opportunities
right around the regions in manufacturing, in construction, in services, in
health—you name it, we are in there. As part of that, we want to make
sure that there are opportunities for Aboriginal people right around the state.
I want to give members a few examples
of the work that we are doing. A particularly important one is the support that
we are providing to Aboriginal business development in the north through a six-month
training program aimed at improving business knowledge and skills through the
Aboriginal business leadership initiative. Thirteen graduates of the Gascoyne
Aboriginal leadership initiative were recognised last week at a graduation
ceremony at Gwoonwardu Mia Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre in
Carnarvon. Those graduates were existing or aspiring business owners who were
being supported by the Better Heart Aboriginal Corporation to develop business
ideas through extensive mentoring and the use of action-planning techniques to
make practical progress with their business development. Mentoring sessions
were delivered alongside business workshops, and those graduates have now been
linked to local, regional and state support networks to keep the momentum
going. That program has been a great initiative in giving existing and emerging
entrepreneurs the skills they need to have the confidence to take their
businesses to the next stage. That program was delivered by a graduate from the wheatbelt program, making it the first
time the program was delivered by an Aboriginal business since it
started in 2017.
Then there is the sandalwood industry
capability program. With the member for Kalgoorlie, I was delighted to announce
this month that the government has contributed $280 000 to implement the
sandalwood industry capability program, with $320 000 from the commonwealth
government. It was great to tour the
distillery—it was a sandalwood oil distillery, not any other type of
distillery—when I was in Kalgoorlie. I saw firsthand the
opportunities that that is presenting for Aboriginal people in not only the
production of sandalwood oil, but also forest management and forest-harvesting
areas.
Then, of course, there is the
regional economic development program. It just keeps going. Through the RED
program, we have funded 56 projects to a value of almost $5 million for
Aboriginal economic development–related projects that produced total
budget projects of over $17 million. An amount of $250 000 went to supporting
Indigenous-owned renewables rental business Red Dog Renewables to develop electric vehicle maintenance hubs in
Karratha. Northern goldfields business Kai Rho Contracting used its $235
000 to purchase a dual-cab grader for civil projects and provide training
opportunities for Aboriginal people. In the
member's own electorate, Yawuru Jarndu Aboriginal Corporation was
awarded a $140 000 grant to develop the Kimberley fashion industry
development program and build on the successful Skutta Girl Indigenous Fashion
Showcase. They are terrific projects.
Then
there is the Aboriginal Pastoral Academy. The latest graduates of the
pioneering Aboriginal Pastoral Academy will soon be sharing their newly
acquired skills. Earlier this year, a further 10 participants completed 10 weeks
of pre-appointment training at Roebuck Plains Station in the Kimberley through Nyamba Buru Yawuru Aboriginal Corporation's
Warrmijala Murrgurlayi Rise Up to Work program and secured jobs for the 2023 pastoral season. The
Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen's Association will coordinate mentoring support and further skills training upon station placement.
These are fabulous projects. They are
all about engaging Aboriginal people who had previously not had the
opportunities to participate in the economic growth that is coming out of this
government through its strong financial discipline and its ability to invest
back into our community through infrastructure and economic diversification. I thank
the member for the question.
and thank the member for Kimberley for her fantastic work in supporting
the recovery from the Kimberley floods and her engagement of local Aboriginal
people in employment opportunities as part of that recovery. That is a textbook
piece of work and I acknowledge the member in this place.
Thanks to the financial discipline of
the Cook Labor government, we have been able to invest a record amount of
infrastructure funding into regional WA—over $11 billion. But not only
that, we are also investing in economic diversification and new opportunities
right around the regions in manufacturing, in construction, in services, in
health—you name it, we are in there. As part of that, we want to make
sure that there are opportunities for Aboriginal people right around the state.
I want to give members a few examples
of the work that we are doing. A particularly important one is the support that
we are providing to Aboriginal business development in the north through a six-month
training program aimed at improving business knowledge and skills through the
Aboriginal business leadership initiative. Thirteen graduates of the Gascoyne
Aboriginal leadership initiative were recognised last week at a graduation
ceremony at Gwoonwardu Mia Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre in
Carnarvon. Those graduates were existing or aspiring business owners who were
being supported by the Better Heart Aboriginal Corporation to develop business
ideas through extensive mentoring and the use of action-planning techniques to
make practical progress with their business development. Mentoring sessions
were delivered alongside business workshops, and those graduates have now been
linked to local, regional and state support networks to keep the momentum
going. That program has been a great initiative in giving existing and emerging
entrepreneurs the skills they need to have the confidence to take their
businesses to the next stage. That program was delivered by a graduate from the wheatbelt program, making it the first
time the program was delivered by an Aboriginal business since it
started in 2017.
Then there is the sandalwood industry
capability program. With the member for Kalgoorlie, I was delighted to announce
this month that the government has contributed $280 000 to implement the
sandalwood industry capability program, with $320 000 from the commonwealth
government. It was great to tour the
distillery—it was a sandalwood oil distillery, not any other type of
distillery—when I was in Kalgoorlie. I saw firsthand the
opportunities that that is presenting for Aboriginal people in not only the
production of sandalwood oil, but also forest management and forest-harvesting
areas.
Then, of course, there is the
regional economic development program. It just keeps going. Through the RED
program, we have funded 56 projects to a value of almost $5 million for
Aboriginal economic development–related projects that produced total
budget projects of over $17 million. An amount of $250 000 went to supporting
Indigenous-owned renewables rental business Red Dog Renewables to develop electric vehicle maintenance hubs in
Karratha. Northern goldfields business Kai Rho Contracting used its $235
000 to purchase a dual-cab grader for civil projects and provide training
opportunities for Aboriginal people. In the
member's own electorate, Yawuru Jarndu Aboriginal Corporation was
awarded a $140 000 grant to develop the Kimberley fashion industry
development program and build on the successful Skutta Girl Indigenous Fashion
Showcase. They are terrific projects.
Then
there is the Aboriginal Pastoral Academy. The latest graduates of the
pioneering Aboriginal Pastoral Academy will soon be sharing their newly
acquired skills. Earlier this year, a further 10 participants completed 10 weeks
of pre-appointment training at Roebuck Plains Station in the Kimberley through Nyamba Buru Yawuru Aboriginal Corporation's
Warrmijala Murrgurlayi Rise Up to Work program and secured jobs for the 2023 pastoral season. The
Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen's Association will coordinate mentoring support and further skills training upon station placement.
These are fabulous projects. They are
all about engaging Aboriginal people who had previously not had the
opportunities to participate in the economic growth that is coming out of this
government through its strong financial discipline and its ability to invest
back into our community through infrastructure and economic diversification. I thank
the member for the question.
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