The new Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) announced today will help accelerate economic opportunities and inclusion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, including in the mining industry.
Appointed by the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the IRG harnesses the vast shared expertise of diverse First Nations business leaders and experts to inform implementation of the National Roadmap on Indigenous Jobs, Skills and Wealth Creation.
The MCA is pleased to see the reference group includes three Indigenous leaders in mining.
Brad Welsh - Managing Director and Chief Executive of Energy Resources of Australia, Steve Fordham - Founder and Managing Director of Blackrock Industries, and Florence Drummond - Co-founder and Chief Executive of Indigenous Women in Mining and Resources Australia are part of the 15-member IRG.
One of the reference group's key opportunities is to inform policies and programs that help leverage the significant Indigenous jobs, skills, business and wealth creation from mining into broader community and economic development.
It's also an opportunity for industries to partner with communities to create new pathways for Indigenous professionals.
While many industries are just starting to develop Indigenous engagement policies, mining companies and Traditional Owners and communities have partnered for decades to deliver tailored opportunities for people to work on country, to return and live locally, gain new skills and qualifications and establish businesses.
It's this long-term focus that led mining to be Australia's leading private sector employer of Indigenous Australians and customer of vibrant Indigenous businesses.
The MCA strongly supports the National Roadmap's ambition of further unlocking Indigenous Australian aspiration and excellence in the economy.
