In celebration of Indigenous Business Month this October, the City of Sydney is supporting two events that aim to create more opportunities for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses.
An Indigenous Business Month Breakfast on 25 October will take place at Customs House in Circular Quay, while the Procurement Support Workshop will be held on 27 October at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City’s support for these events was part of the Eora Journey Economic Development Plan, which guides the City’s work to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prosperity.
“These communities told us loud and clear that wellbeing and self-determination are crucial to their vision of prosperity, and that’s what the broader city community wants, too,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We developed the Eora Journey Economic Development Plan with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the guidance of our expert advisory panel,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Our city has an Aboriginal past, present and future - we need to make sure cultural recognition is underpinned by economic opportunity.”
The Indigenous Business Month Breakfast will bring together a diverse group of people across a range of sectors, including government, business and not-for-profit, and encourage entrepreneurs and young people to be involved.
With the theme of ‘Celebrating Leadership’, the breakfast will feature a panel celebrating the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business and entrepreneurship, as well as opportunities for future collaboration.
Founding partner of Indigenous Business Month, Mayrah Sonter, said the month-long program of events is widely supported throughout the Indigenous and non-Indigenous business sectors.
“We seek to build on the momentum from last year’s inaugural event this year so we can continue to make Indigenous business growth a part of the national conversation,” said Ms Sonter, who is also director of the Aboriginal media, communications and events agency, 33 Creative.
“We’re looking forward to more robust discussion, sharing of ideas and acknowledgment of the important and inspiring achievements being made across the Indigenous business sector.”
Event partners include the City of Sydney, 33 Creative, Asia Pacific Social Impact Centre at the Melbourne Business School, Charles Sturt University, PwC and BP.
The Procurement Support Workshop is a City-run two-hour, hands-on workshop that will allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business owners to learn more about government procurement and share success stories.
The City received Procurement Australia’s Social Procurement Award in 2015, recognising its contribution to furthering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander procurement.
Last year, the City witnessed a 137 per cent increase since 2012 in its procurement contracts with Aboriginal businesses, including a 208 per cent increase in the number of its suppliers.
Indigenous Business Month was the brainchild of MURRA alumni and Indigenous entrepreneurs who wanted to showcase the successes of the Indigenous community outside the traditional areas of the arts and sport, and to tell their stories in their voice.
The success of the 2015 launch event at Customs House, Sydney, showed there was a gap in public knowledge about successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and their significant contribution to the economy.
The Eora Journey Economic Development Plan is a key part of the City’s Eora Journey program that celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history, promotes reconciliation and aims to help achieve recognition for Australia’s First Peoples.
The City’s longstanding support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities also includes:
- $5 million to create seven major public art projects symbolising the Eora Journey
- Celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture, including NAIDOC Week and Yabun
- Investigating and advocating for a local centre to act as a place of learning, employment, cultural celebration and understanding
- Receiving expert advice from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel
- Adopting the City’s first Reconciliation Action Plan in June 2015 that provides a framework for new approaches to building relationships, showing respect and improving opportunities.
To view the City of Sydney’s Eora Journey Economic Development Plan, visit: cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/business/business-support/business-in-your-sector/cross-sector-themes/aboriginal-employment-enterprise
For media inquiries or images, contact City of Sydney Media Officer Blair Mulzer on 02 8974 4160 or bmulzer@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, contact Paul Mackay on 0432 182 647 or email pmackay@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au