As the 2022 iteration of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) enters its last day in Sydney, First Nations delegates have continued to play a vital role.
With as much as 1080 per cent of Australia’s future resources on Indigenous land, or that of land-connected people, it is important that First Nations communities are included in the mining sector.
In setting the tone for the focus on inclusion, Indigenous Women in Mining and Resources Australia (IWIMRA) chief executive officer Florence Drummond delivered a powerful First Nations Partner address.
“IWIMRA started in 2017 and at that point we only had about half a per cent of Indigenous women participating in the industry here in Australia, so I’m very glad to see the development of initiatives to welcome more indigenous women into the industry,” Drummond said.
IWIMRA has partnered with IMARC to raise the profile of First Nations women and contribute to best-practice solutions to ensure the visibility, voice and quality participation of Indigenous women within the sector.
Drummond also chaired a panel of influential industry leaders at IMARC. The panel discussed the importance of Indigenous participation across the supply chain, with a focus on the engagement and procurement of Indigenous businesses.
Panellist Luarna Dynevor, chair of the Barada Barna Aboriginal Corporation and a First Nations business owner, said the panel topic was very personal to her.
“No one’s ever asked me why I own a business,” she said. “I own a business to employ my own people and keep them going and make sure they have success and that’s why I push for those contracts.
“We’re making these companies accountable and they’re giving us the first right of refusal. The biggest challenge, though, is compliance.
“Big companies make it so hard for small businesses to weave and navigate their way through compliance and if you don’t have assistance in that, you’re going to fail.”
Jim Walker, the chair of the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformation in Mining Economies’ (CRC TiME) First Nations Advisory Team, said the importance of building relationships with Indigenous communities and businesses cannot be underestimated.
“Indigenous people need to be included not as stakeholders but as rights holders. We need to be part of the decision-making,” he said.
“We want a real participation in all things relating to mining and beyond.”
Whitehaven Coal, the sponsor of IMARC’s Indigenous Participation Program, spent $8.73 million with 14 local Aboriginal-run businesses in 2021. The company’s Aboriginal community relations manager Bob Sutherland said it was a vital contribution to these communities.
“One of the things we are keen to do is make sure First Nations businesses are successful on all levels because the biggest employers of Indigenous people are Indigenous businesses, and we want to make sure they are strong, resilient and able to move forward,” Sutherland said.
“These businesses are changing people’s lives locally. We’re making a difference, not only to the economic development within Aboriginal communities, but right across the north-west of New South Wales.”
Crucial conversations such as this will progress into the afternoon on IMARC 2022’s final day.