In New South Wales, there are a number of stakeholders working to create opportunities for Indigenous Australians to contribute to state, territory and national economies. The New South Wales Indigenous Chamber of Commerce focuses on nurturing, enabling, accelerating and mentoring Indigenous leadership within the infrastructure industry across Australia.
The New South Wales Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC) is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation whose biggest asset is its expertise and partner value proposition. The NSWICC represents the interests of 500 certified Indigenous-owned businesses in New South Wales.
New South Wales was the birthplace of the first Indigenous Chamber of Commerce in Australia, established in 2006 to support Indigenous people to establish and operate their own businesses and provide a forum for business owners to come together to network, share and learn from each other.
Since its establishment in 2009, the NSWICC has built a respected brand as the peak body and voice for New South Wales Indigenous businesses. The company’s advocacy work, at all levels of government, has resulted in a national agenda that acknowledges economic participation as key to addressing generational disadvantages for Indigenous people.
Deb Barwick, NSWICC CEO, said, “Moving forward, the NSWICC will leverage our unique position and expertise to create a self-sustaining chamber model that ignites the entrepreneurial spirit of Indigenous people, accelerates Indigenous business and employment growth, and facilitates relationships and networks that enable sustained economic and social inclusion in New South Wales.”
The company’s mission is threefold. It wishes to:
♦ Establish collaboration and reciprocal relationships that enable cultural education and mobilise economic opportunities
♦ Accelerate Indigenous entrepreneurship and aid enterprising communities through education, training and capacity building programs
♦ Inform policy and support regulated actions that deliver, measure and account for sustained Indigenous employment and business growth
The NSWICC works with government, industry and Indigenous communities to progress an agenda of economic and social parity. Daily interactions with stakeholders informs its work to develop a strong pipeline of Indigenous-owned businesses and to foster and sustain their engagement in the supply chains of government and industry.
The NSWICC is a strong advocate for greater efficiency, regulation and transparency when it comes to the certification of Indigenous businesses and the implementation of the New South Wales Government’s Aboriginal Procurement Policy (APP) and the Federal Government’s IPP.
“Policy created to impact Indigenous people in any way must always be informed and guided by Indigenous people or their representatives,” Ms Barwick said.
The NSWICC is well placed to work with businesses to maximise opportunities for Indigenous participation in the delivery of infrastructure projects. Aboriginal Participation in Construction (APIC) partnerships with the NSWICC offer a return on investment unequalled by other service providers in the market.
Partners also have the opportunity to contribute resources to the NSWICC’s capacity building programs. Please note that the NSWICC is also a respected Indigenous supplier of specialised consultancy services by local, state and federal governments.
The NSWICC board and staff look forward to all future partnerships that will bring many reciprocal learnings and benefits that enable economic and social parity for Indigenous people and communities.
NSWICC infrastructure and construction forum 2022
Despite a growing pipeline of Indigenous-owned businesses with immense capacity to serve diverse industries and the enormous and unprecedented opportunity that procurement policies and diverse supply chains offer, economic prosperity for Indigenous people in New South Wales is still an aspiration, with purchasing from Indigenous suppliers and the employment of Indigenous people still less than it could be and should be. The reason for this is clear: both sides of the supply chain are lacking in their capacity and/or capability to fully engage with each other.
As the state’s peak Indigenous business body, the NSWICC has appropriately responded with a new and innovative partnership and service model to grow the capacity and number of Indigenous businesses supplying New South Wales and beyond and to better equip government and contractor procurement and engagement processes.
The NSWICC Infrastructure and Construction Forum 2022 intends to showcase leadership and the best practices in supply chain and workforce inclusion of Indigenous businesses and people in New South Wales.
The knowledge and teachings shared, and connections made, at this event will support a cohesive and efficient environment for sustained engagement between governments, contractors and subcontractors, maximising Indigenous supply and employment outcomes.
Join the NSWICC for this event of thought-provoking speakers; a showcase of Indigenous businesses supplying the industry, workshops for procurement, case studies, award presentations, fine food and entertainment.
The event is alligned with the current diverse needs of governments, contractors, businesses, Indigenous suppliers and people seeking careers in the infrastructure industry. Further event details can be found at https://www. nswiccevents.com/.
For further information, please visit nswicc.com.au
