AUSTRALIA’s leading Indigenous financial literacy organisation, First Nations Foundation, has launched a new, family-friendly community event series to educate and empower Indigenous Australians to take control of their financial future.

The new initiative, Financial Wellness Week, is a series of outreach and educational events which will travel across Australia to engage with communities, with the first taking place in Redfern and Western Sydney from April 19-21.

Attendees can access a range of free financial services and workshops, as part of a financial wellness hub covering tax, Centrelink support, superannuation and banking issues and more, while also enjoying a free barbecue lunch and other family activities. 

First Nations Foundation, which has previously reconnected Indigenous Australians with more than $24 million in superannuation to date through its award-winning Big Super Day Out events, is focused on bridging the financial literacy gap between Indigenous Australians and the wider population.

Financial Wellness Week takes a holistic approach to providing financial services to the community, acting as a point of contact for First Nations people to access a hub of financial literacy workshops and break-out sessions with selected industry providers and government departments.

A culturally appropriate delivery of financial information is at the pinnacle of First Nations Foundation’s values, according to CEO Phil Usher.

“Culture is at the heart of everything we do, from our online education programs to events like Financial Wellness Week,” Mr Usher said.

“Understanding the Indigenous perception of money and family responsibilities can only be gained through lived experiences. All our training and content is written and delivered by Mob, for Mob,” he said.

“Opportunities like this and previously, Big Super Day Out, have proven to have significant positive impacts on First Nations communities and it’s something we look forward to delivering once again.” 

Improving relationships with banks

Project lead, Melanie Noble said she hoped that events like these would help destigmatise conversations about money and improve the relationships that First Nations people have with their banks and financial institutions.

“It is important for us that First Nations people understand that engaging with their bank, super fund or the tax office can make such a huge difference to their financial situation – we’re hoping for this to happen on the day and that it helps with budgeting which will make family life easier,” Ms Noble said.

“This first event in Sydney is a great opportunity for any prospective industry partners to experience the event and see what our foundation is all about.

“We look forward to partnering with industry leaders and collaborators to make this event series a positive and impactful experience for our First Nations people.”

First Nations Foundation is centred around four strategic focus areas, including education, community, partnership and leadership. The Foundation also offers digital financial literacy training through its My Money Dream program, its youth focused Tomorrow Money website and the Indigenous Women’s Financial Wellness (IWFW) program.

Industry partners for the first Financial Wellness Week in Sydney include the Australian Tax Office, Centrelink, Services Australia, ASIC’s Indigenous Outreach Program, Commonwealth Bank, NAB, Community First Bank, AMP, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Rest, Hostplus, CBUS, GambleAware NSW, NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages, Revenue NSW, Mob Strong Debt Help, Muru Mittigar, Redfern Legal Centre, Economic Justice Australia, Welfare Rights Centre and Wotton+Kearney. FNF is also broadly supported by Suncorp as a ‘purpose partner’.

First Nations Foundation was formed in 2006 by the First Nations Credit Union, teaching financial skills to Indigenous people.

For more information on Financial Wellness Week or learn more about partnership and collaboration opportunities, visit https://firstnationsfoundation.org.au/fww/

www.firstnationsfoundation.org.au

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By Dean Foley >>

WEALTH IN AUSTRALIA was accumulated from the disposition and genocide of First Nations people. It was a long time ago you might think, however, the control of First Nations people is still continuing through the control of wealth in Australia. 

The act of exploitation in Australia is not a history lesson, it's the present. First Nations people are amongst the most disadvantaged in the world and are not being given a fair chance to be 'successful'.

This is because the wealth in our country has been controlled by non-First Nations since colonisation. The inequalities that have been created have been very severe and it will take many generations to remedy them. 

"What if we could use wealth to heal rather than cause further harm? What if funders, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs could help restore the earth? What if money was spent trying out concepts that shatter current structures and systems that have turned much of the world into one vast market?" - Jennifer and Peter Buffett. 

Edgar Villaneuva's book, Decolonizing Wealth is insightful and well-researched. It does bring new perspectives to the table, as it speaks of the real, day-to-day struggles of living in a colonised country.

Money is controlled by the coloniser but First Nations people and traditional ways of thinking (community-first approach) can contribute a lot to the development of a better world.

Apart from putting First Nations people in control of their own future, as we enter a world where climate change and global warming is getting worse, these ideas are very crucial and revolutionary at the moment.

The western capitalist model believes wealth and economic activity are the result of markets, ideas, and the 'free market'; i.e. no one controls wealth; however, the reality is more complex. 

The capitalist system of economic development in Australia requires the domination and control of First Nations land and other resources, and the relinquishing of the collective ownership of the land. 

Whilst the destruction of First Nations land and cultures are down to colonialism, the coming into being of the economy is dependent on a divide-and-rule policy which has been at play since the 1800s and has continued, for example, in the various land acts, Native Title and other land grabs.

The coloniser controls the wealth of First Nations people through the government. The government spends large amounts of funding to 'help' First Nations people but much of this money is not distributed fairly and there is little accountability.

"...when state and territory government spending is included, mainstream spending climbs to over 80 percent of the total expenditure on Indigenous people" - James Haughton's, Indigenous budget review. 

The findings of the report show that First Nations communities are not receiving a fair share of Australia’s wealth. The money is instead going back to governments or their corporate backers, who don't see an improved quality of life as their ultimate goal. 

Thus, First Nations people should be given the responsibility to close the equality gaps and empower themselves.

If our governments and corporations want a better future, they need to come to us and work alongside us to define what a better world looks like. 

There is a lot of work to be done by First Nations people to reclaim our power and nation, however, if we come together and show our determination, our capability and potential, I believe we can collectively shape a better future for ourselves and everyone else in the world. 

This isn’t a fantasy, we have the capability to do this. However, it’s time for everyone to collectively contribute to the good of this world through the development of our communities, nation and the people’s control of the wealth.

We're bringing back the idea of community - instead of a few individuals and families benefiting (Western approach) from the best interests of our communities, we all are.

www.barayamal.com

Dean Foley is the founder of Barayamal, Australia's Indigenous business incubator and accelerator. He served five years in the Royal Australian Air Force before founding Australia’s Indigenous business accelerator, Barayamal – now known as a world leader in Indigenous entrepreneurship. Dean is an action-oriented entrepreneur, former-Microsoft RAP Advisory Board member, CSIRO STEM Award winner, Indigenous Digital Excellence (IDX) Entrepreneurship Award winner, and proud Kamilaroi Man from Gunnedah, NSW.

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By Dean Foley >>

A NEW article claims MPs from both sides of the political divide have called for stricter criteria for Indigenous businesses applying for federal contracts.

The report is supposedly backed by Liberal and Labor MPs, calling for more rigorous criteria to be applied to those bidding for government contracts under the Indigenous Procurement Policy, which is administered by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA).

In this commentary article, we'll explore the recommendations made and key points from Canberra Times' article 'Tighten Indigenous contract checks: report'.

Random audits for businesses that have contracts

The Public Service Commission has recommended random audits for businesses that have contracts under the Indigenous Procurement Policy. This is to help ensure that businesses are meeting their obligations.  

One of the main reasons for this is because there has been a growing concern of people being taken advantage of and others who are not fulfilling their government contracts, or worse, purposely acting in a fraudulent manner and purposedly stealing from their communities.

I recently received a proposal from a non-Indigenous business that wanted Barayamal to apply for a government grant and receive all of the money if successful. It was ridiculous since Barayamal would be the one applying and responsible for the government funding and reporting. However, this ridiculous (real) example is more common than some people would like to think, and there are vulnerable people who get taken advantage of by these 'opportunities'.

However, more red tape is not necessarily better since some government contracts already implement risk management methods like milestone funding to decrease the risk of businesses that don't reach the required targets.

Indigenous businesses are often faced with uncertainty, especially when it comes to government contracts.

Businesses with a proven record should be given more freedom and less red tape so they can innovate quickly and make a bigger difference in our community.  

To build a trustworthy system, we must be able to eliminate those who abuse the system and allow those who care and do good to thrive. - Dean Foley

51 percent Indigenous ownership

This requires that the business owners verify that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people own at least 51 percent of the business by checking the provided Confirmation of Aboriginality documents and share structures registered with ASIC and/or other documentation (such as partnership documents or trust deeds).

In conclusion, this identification only measures actual business ownership instead of where the money generated or profits will go -- it only takes into account who is actually in charge or who has majority 'control'. In theory, the 51 percent Indigenous business could even own 90 percent of the business but the majority of profits will actually go to the non-Indigenous partners.

Because of this 'shallow' tick in the box, this has led to 'Black Cladding' (joint ventures) which are providing opportunistic companies/individuals with an opportunity and an unfair advantage to win government contracts.

This is nothing new, I've heard from numerous sources that countries in Africa have similar issues with non-African/black businesses using shell companies in partnership with locals to win government contracts. One individual was supposedly the 'go-to person' with over 15 businesses (joint ventures).

Instead of ownership and 'control' of the business, I believe Indigenous businesses should be priority measured differently.

Just like charities in Australia are given special treatment because they are helping solve social issues which commercial businesses don't get, Indigenous businesses that operate from an Indigenous entrepreneurship perspective should also receive special treatment based on their community development achievements.

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission doesn't cater to Indigenous entrepreneurship, which is why there needs to be a separate entity to certify and manage Indigenous-owned businesses that are operating from an Indigenous entrepreneurship perspective.

Indigenous businesses should receive special treatment akin to charities because they are solving community issues that the government and non-Indigenous businesses (including charities) cannot.

www.barayamal.com

“You've still got to build entrepreneurs, your community, corporations and your nation's initiative in a way that reflects who we are." - Miles Richardson

Dean Foley is the founder of Barayamal, Australia's Indigenous business incubator and accelerator. He served five years in the Royal Australian Air Force before founding Australia’s Indigenous business accelerator, Barayamal – now known as a world leader in Indigenous entrepreneurship. Dean is an action-oriented entrepreneur, former-Microsoft RAP Advisory Board member, CSIRO STEM Award winner, Indigenous Digital Excellence (IDX) Entrepreneurship Award winner, and proud Kamilaroi Man from Gunnedah, NSW.

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QUEENSLAND’s resources sector will tonight celebrate being the state’s leading private sector employer of Indigenous people at a gala event in Brisbane.

Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Ian Macfarlane said it was fitting to hold the council’s Indigenous Awards Celebration during National Reconciliation Week "when resources companies have such good news to share".

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make up almost five percent of Queensland’s resources workforce, which is higher than their level of representation in the state’s population, which is four percent,” Mr Macfarlane said. 

“Direct Indigenous employment in Queensland’s resources sector grew by 24 percent in 2019-20, based on data collected from QRC members across the state.

“Direct Indigenous employment in the Queensland resources sector has in fact increased by 47 percent since 2016-17, which shows resources companies are committed to genuine partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

“We’re also very proud that almost 14 percent of our sector’s Indigenous employees are apprentices and trainees, which is streets ahead of the proportion of Indigenous apprentices and trainees in the wider Queensland workforce, which is just under 4 percent,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Our sector’s contribution also expands well beyond our own workforces.

“In 2019-20 Queensland’s resources sector spent $69 million dollars with 84 different Indigenous businesses across the state.”

Mr Macfarlane said the QRC’s highly successful Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) was also helping to grow the state's Indigenous skills pipeline.

“The Queensland Government’s Next Step Destination Data shows that of the Indigenous students who went into an apprenticeship or traineeship from QMEA schools, more than a third went into the mining industry," he said.

"This is a great outcome for these young Indigenous people and we look forward to seeing where their careers take them.

“Our industry provides exciting, skilled, and well-paid careers - not just jobs - for Indigenous Queenslanders, which is demonstrated by the outstanding winners of the 2020 Indigenous Awards whom we are honouring tonight, thanks to event partner Rio Tinto.”

www.qrc.org.au

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