Opportunities for Victorian Aboriginal people

Opportunities for Aboriginal people

The historic injustices of colonialism, dispossession and intergenerational trauma still play out today in the experiences of Victoria’s Aboriginal communities, and many Aboriginal Victorians continue to miss out on the economic opportunities that others take for granted.

To create a better future together with Aboriginal Victorians, the Victorian Government is working in partnership with the Aboriginal community to boost self-determination and build a pathway towards a Treaty with the First People’s Assembly of Victoria.

The Social Procurement Framework is a powerful lever to help level the playing field and dismantle the systemic barriers that prevent Aboriginal people from fully sharing in Victoria’s social and economic prosperity.

By supporting Victorian Aboriginal businesses to participate in government procurement processes, the Victorian Government is creating more opportunities for Aboriginal people, so that together we can create a more just and inclusive future.

Case Study: Jarrah Cleaning Services

Servicing offices across regional Victoria from Mallacoota to Portland, the job of providing cleaning services for the Victorian Fisheries Authority is a big one.

When the Victorian Fisheries Authority approached the market for a cleaning company this year, CEO Travis Dowling realised early on that this was the perfect opportunity to create a social value outcome.

To see this vision through, the team approached cleaning and maintenance companies that were either social enterprises, disability enterprises or Aboriginal-owned companies to submit a tender.

The three-year contract was awarded to Jarrah Integrated Services – an Aboriginal-owned business based on Wurundjeri land in North Melbourne

As well as keeping clients’ workplaces functioning smoothly, Jarrah Integrated Services creates and promotes employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and businesses.

The company offers training and support to grow measurable, long-term career pathways for Aboriginal people.

We are delighted that we could offer Jarrah Integrated Services the job, as well as provide the opportunity for other social enterprise companies to be engaged in the tender process.

Key Achievements

From 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, the Victorian Government directly spent:

• $13.23 million with 98 verified Victorian Aboriginal businesses
  • of this, nearly $1.75 million with Victorian Aboriginal businesses through state purchase contracts. (Note: Due to system and reporting limitations, not all spend across all state purchase contracts categories may be included in this total.)
• $7.98 million with 31 other Aboriginal organisations.

With the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic during the 2019–20 financial year, growth in expenditure and engagement by the Victorian Government with the Victorian Aboriginal business sector was hampered:

• a decrease of 54 per cent in total expenditure by the Victorian Government with Victorian Aboriginal businesses
• an increase of 1.6 per cent in the total Victorian Aboriginal businesses engaged by the Victorian Government.
• (Note: This comparison includes inly limited State Purchase Contract data.)

Compared to the inaugural reporting year 2018-19 (pre coronavirus pandemic), there has been a 37 per cent increase in business engagements and a 27 per cent increase in expenditure.

Beyond direct engagement with Victorian Aboriginal businesses, Victorian Government entities sought commitments to support Victorian Aboriginal people through its supply chain.

From 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, the following Social Procurement Framework commitments were included within 119 contracts with suppliers reported to the Victorian Management Centre, of which:

• 18 contained commitments for the engagement of Victorian Aboriginal businesses
• 17 contained commitments for the engagement of Victorian suppliers who are employers of Victorian Aboriginal people
• 15 contained commitments for expenditure with Victorian Aboriginal businesses
• 13 contained commitments for the employment of Victorian Aboriginal people.

(Note: As the Victorian Management Centre was fully implemented in April 2021, some contracts are still in delivery, and will not have outcomes to report on for this period.)

The state’s major project delivery agencies provide a number of opportunities for Victorian Aboriginal people.

Under the rail industry’s Training for the Future skills program, 17 Aboriginal people completed the GROW program. (Note: Gain Real Opportunities in the Workforce (GROW) provides training and employment opportunities in the transport and construction industries to people from marginalised or disadvantaged backgrounds.)

In 2020-21, the major road* and rail projects (delivered by the Level Crossing Removal Project, Major Road Projects Victoria, North East Link Project, Rail Projects Victoria and the West Gate Tunnel Project) spent a total of $77,140,516 with 74 Aboriginal businesses** and organisations both directly and through its supply chain.

^{* Please note in relation to all references throughout the document to the Major Road Projects Victoria projects, not all data was available.}

^{** This figure may include spend with Aboriginal organisations that do not meet the current definition of Victorian Aboriginal Businesses in the Framework.}

In 2020-21 the major road and rail projects recorded 781,199 Aboriginal employment hours, taking the total to date9 across all Major Transport Infrastructure Authority projects to 1,942,570 Aboriginal employment hours. (Note: Reporting commenced in 2016 and includes data up to 30 June 2021.)

Kinaway Chamber of Commerce is the Aboriginal organisation supporting Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business owners and entrepreneurs. Since its launch in October 2018, the number of certified businesses listed on its directory has increased from 15 to 377 businesses by 30 June 2021.

Case Study: Wara Paring Civil Construction Project

The Wara Paring Civil Construction Project is a first-of-its-kind, 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned contract services and training initiative.

It grew from a partnership between Melbourne Water (MWC) and Aqua Metro Services to create meaningful and ongoing job opportunities for Aboriginal people in the water industry’s supply chain.

Rather than determining there were no Aboriginal businesses that could deliver capital works to the water sector, the two organisations collaborated to create the critical training scaffolding that would support the emergence of such a business. Wara Paring (which means ‘walk the path together’ in Wemba language) is the outcome of this process – an Aboriginal-owned business that provides trenchless technology and non-destructive digging for MWC’s capital delivery program, as well as creating training and development for young Aboriginal workers in a culturally safe environment.

We see ourselves as strong role models within our community. Our unique experience has enabled us to develop the core capabilities required for business and employee success – along with a shared dream of creating meaningful and sustainable outcomes for Indigenous Australia.

The program demonstrates how the Australian water industry can innovate with its supply chain to create better social and economic outcomes for Aboriginal people as part of the collective journey towards reconciliation.

Kinaway, the Victorian Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce, described the initiative as a ‘trailblazer and example’, which they now promote to other businesses as a sensible approach to sustainably creating new Aboriginal-owned businesses.

As well as providing employment for Aboriginal people, the initiative has also had cultural and environmental outcomes by supporting Aboriginal people to stay on and care for Country, and to harness Aboriginal expertise and cultural knowledge about sustainable natural resource management.

The Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business sector has shown great strength and resilience over the past 12 months, among the challenges COVID-19 has presented. Kinaway has been working with agencies and their contractors to raise awareness of the certified businesses available to them. Many Kinaway certified businesses have been empowered as government procurers and their contractors alike procure with them under the Social Procurement Framework. As a result, positive relationships have been formed and business capability and capacity have increased.

Case Study: Major Road Projects Victoria engages Aboriginal law firm AMK law through a partnership with Clayton Utz

Major Road Projects Victoria is leading the way in involving Aboriginal-owned firms in professional services contracts.

As part of Major Road Projects Victoria’s work with legal firm Clayton Utz, AKM Law, a 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned business has been brought on as a subcontractor.

Matthew Karakoulakis, founder and principal lawyer at AMK Law, is proud of his Aboriginal and Greek heritage, and says that the contract means AMK can engage Aboriginal lawyers to work on high-calibre matters.

‘It’s a fantastic example of taking the lead and demonstrating the kind of value working with Aboriginal businesses can deliver for community,’ Matthew says.

Clayton Utz plans to upskill AMK Law in large commercial and construction law matters. This will provide career opportunities for young Aboriginal lawyers and additional networking and career opportunities for Aboriginal interns at Clayton Utz.

This is the first legal work that AMK Law has undertaken with the Victorian Government. As part of the process, AMK Law worked with Clayton Utz on Major Road Projects Victoria projects including its program delivery approach, negotiating interface agreements with developers, and strategic matters including Major Road Projects Victoria’s engagement with utility service providers.

Matthew believes strongly that this work will help towards closing the gap.

There is often a lot of talk but then no action. This engagement is genuine and will allow for greater economic growth and opportunities for Indigenous people.

As well as giving the Clayton Utz team a chance to work with and learn from an Aboriginal law firm, the arrangement also provides pathways for Aboriginal lawyers to contribute to city-shaping infrastructure projects.

AMK Law and Clayton Utz have been recognised by Kinaway, the Victorian Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce in being shortlisted for the 'Best Collaboration Award' for 2021.

Short Story: Social procurement gives BA Road Services the chance to expand

BA Road Services is an Aboriginal-owned and operated company based in Sunbury, Victoria that provides services to the asphalt industry.

It specialises in industrial and commercial asphalt paving work, including small domestic projects, driveways, carparks, speedhumps, patches and reinstating garden paths and footpaths.

With support from Kinaway in the tender process, BA Roads has been able to win bigger contracts, including from Major Road Projects Victoria and local councils.

This has helped BA Roads’ business to grow to include road maintenance asphalt work, which allows them to train new and junior staff who can then move on to road construction.

It’s also meant that they have been able to invest in more equipment, and provide job security and job satisfaction for their workers.