Three Aboriginal community-owned businesses have been selected to participate in the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Department of Regional NSW’s Aboriginal Fisheries Business Development Program.
The program aims to support the selected participants to build their new businesses in the commercial fisheries sector.
Selected participants and businesses include:
- a commercial fishing enterprise to be developed with the Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation on the North Coast;
- a Walbunja Aboriginal Fishing Cooperative to be developed with Joonga Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation on the South Coast;
- a recirculated aquaculture and aquaponics enterprise to be developed with the Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation in the Upper Hunter region.
A state-wide expression of interest process saw 16 Aboriginal-community owned fisheries business proposals from across NSW apply for participation in the program.
“Closing the Gap is a top priority for the NSW Government,” said Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, David Harris.
“We acknowledge that to close the gap, Aboriginal people must determine, drive, and own the desired outcomes, alongside government.
“More than ever, Aboriginal people are seeking to achieve economic independence through business creation.
“This great initiative will see a new wave of Aboriginal businesses springing up on our coastline.”
The program is run together with key program partners including the Aboriginal Fishing Advisory Council, NSW Aboriginal Land Council, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation.
The three successful applicants will now join the program partners and be mentored and supported to progress through the program to build their feasibility assessments, business proposal and business case.
“Once the three business plans and business cases are developed, the program partners will work to leverage investment in the 3 new businesses across both the public and private sector,” said Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty.
“Successful applicants needed to be an Aboriginal community-owned entity or business and were required to explain how the social and economic benefits of their proposed business would flow back to their communities.”
She said the collaborative program will also be used to develop case studies that could be replicated across the state and other jurisdictions to develop other successful Aboriginal community owned and operated fisheries businesses in other areas.
Get more information on the Aboriginal Fisheries Business Development Program.
