Walking Together,
Building Solid Foundations,
Closing the Gap
New South Wales (NSW) was the birthplace of the first Indigenous Chamber of Commerce in Australia established in 2006 to support Aboriginal People to establish and operate their own businesses and to provide a forum for Business owners to come together to network, to share and to learn from each other. Since its establishment in 2009, the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC) has built a respected brand as the Peak Body and Voice for NSW Aboriginal Business. Our focus on nurturing, enabling, accelerating and mentoring Aboriginal Entrepreneurs and Leadership in Aboriginal Communities is key to our success in building sustainable businesses and community organisations. Our advocacy work at all levels of Government has resulted in a national agenda that acknowledges Economic Participation as key to addressing generational disadvantage for Aboriginal people.
In NSW, there are many stakeholders working to create opportunities for Aboriginal people to contribute to the States economy. New buying policies aim to increase Government and Private sector spend with Certified Aboriginal Suppliers and to create training, jobs and contract opportunities for Aboriginal people on large scale Infrastructure Projects (APIC). Complimenting this wave of opportunity is the increased number of Private Sector Companies committed to Closing the Gap through the actions of Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs). RAP’s increasingly include quality career opportunities and a commitment to inclusive Supply Chains. Industry Based Agreements between Peak Bodies and Government promote similar goals across their large memberships. Whilst these efforts combined provide an unprecedented opportunity to improve the lives of Aboriginal People and Communities both economically and socially, there are barriers that must be addressed if we are to maximise our impact. Some of these are environmental, but mostly the barriers are caused by real or perceived capacity issues on both sides of the Supply Chain.
In September 2017, at Parliament House Sydney, we launched the NSWICC 2020 Roadmap – an Economic and Social Impact Strategy:
“Buying Policies alone do not address social and economic disparity. Government, Industry, Private Business, the Not For Profit Sector and Aboriginal Leadership can all have a measurable impact individually, however, the individual impact of one cannot compare to the potential impact of all these groups working together.”
Deb Barwick, CEO NSWICC
The NSW Government and NSWICC Industry Based Agreement (IBA) was announced as a new approach to growing Aboriginal businesses across NSW. The IBA promotes collaboration between Government Agencies, Government Contractors and the NSWICC as the States Peak Body for Aboriginal Businesses and leading advisor on the needs of the Aboriginal Business Sector, individual Entrepreneurs and Enterprising Communities. The NSWICC is a strong advocate for greater efficiency, regulation and transparency when it comes to the Certification of Aboriginal Businesses and the implementation of Procurement Policy.
“Policy created to impact Aboriginal people in any way must always be informed and guided by Aboriginal people or their representatives.”
Deb Barwick, CEO NSWICC
The NSWICC is a non Government, not for profit organisation whose biggest asset is our expertise and partner value proposition. Moving forward, the NSWICC will leverage our unique position and expertise to create a self-sustaining chamber model that ignites the Entrepreneurial spirit of Aboriginal people, accelerates Aboriginal business and employment growth and, facilitates relationships and networks that enable sustained economic and social inclusion in NSW.
History of the NSWICC
2006
Launch of Australia’s first Indigenous Chamber of Commerce; the Mandurah HIBC
2008
Open for Business: Developing Indigenous enterprises in Australia Report released containing 15 significant recommendations relevant to the Indigenous Business Sector
2009
NSWICC registered as first Peak Body for Aboriginal Businesses in NSW & first State Chamber for Aboriginal Business in Australia
2009
NSWICC wins Premiers Award for Excellence & Leadership for Economic Impact in Indigenous Communities
2010
Indigenous Business Council of Australia (IBCA) formed as a National Voice for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Businesses
2012
NSWICC Chair, Deb Barwick selected to Co-Chair the World Indigenous Business Forum held in Sydney, Australia
2012
Report shows NSWICC is N0. 1 feeder to the Indigenous Business Sector Pipeline. A survey of Supply Nation’s 71 suppliers showed that 32 (44%) had been referred by the NSWICC & that the Chamber had played an important role in their business success
2011
NSWICC officially launched by Senator Mark Arbib, Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs
2013
OCHRE – Opportunity, Choice, Healing, Responsibility, Empowerment – NSW Government’s plan for Aboriginal affairs released
2014
NSWICC & NSW Government sign MOU – forming a historical alliance to inform & implement key initiatives under OCHRE relating to the economic empowerment of Aboriginal Communities in NSW
2014
NSW Government Procurement Board Directive enabling agencies to contract Aboriginal Suppliers for goods & services up to $150k
2014
Law Society NSW & NSWICC launch partnership providing access to pro bono legal advice, support and representation
2014
TAFE NSW & NSWICC partnership providing Indigenous Businesses & their Employees access to tailored programs & qualifications
2014
NSW Deputy Ombudsman for Aboriginal programs appointed
2015
NSW Aboriginal Participation in Construction Policy (APIC) launched
2015
NSW Aboriginal Business Portal launched as the First Portal & Database designed to link Aboriginal suppliers in NSW with Government & Private Sector Procurement
2015
NSW Dept. of Education & Communities, & NSWICC partnership to support linkages between Aboriginal Suppliers and the Department
2015
KPMG & NSWICC partnership
2015
Minerals Council NSW & NSWICC partnership aiming to increase Indigenous Suppliers participation in NSW Mining
2015
The First Australians Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FACCI) launched as National peak body to represent the interests of State & Territory Indigenous Chambers of Commerce & their members
2016
Fostering Economic Development for Aboriginal people in NSW report to Parliament under s.31 of the Ombudsman Act 1974
2016
NSW Standing Committee on State Development Inquiry into Economic Development in Aboriginal Communities
2017
Bridging the Indigenous Supply Gap Report – UNSW Business School
2017
NSWICC & the Australian Industry Group (AIG) Partnership
2017
NSW Government & NSWICC Industry Based Agreement (IBA) launch
2017
NSWICC 2020 Roadmap Launch – A Social & Economic Impact Strategy
2017
Draft Federal Government Indigenous Economic Development Strategy
2017
First international guidance standard on sustainable procurement (ISO20400) published
Part of a National Voice
Today, a National Network of Indigenous Chambers of Commerce exists with a growing membership of 4500+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Businesses represented by a Peak Body, the First Australians Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FACCI).