The University of Melbourne media release, dated 12 Aug 2021:
The Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership – the first of its kind in Australia – was launched today at the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Business School.
The centre will be a home for education, engagement and research to support the self-determined growth of Indigenous businesspeople, companies, and communities around the country.
The name Dilin Duwa means “everlasting flow” in the Woi Wurrung language of the Wurundjeri people, on whose lands the Centre is located. It signifies the convergence of three streams of activities - teaching/programs, research and engagement - into impact.
Director, Associate Professor Michelle Evans, said the Centre was committed to the pursuit of equality for Australia’s First Nations people in the economic life of our country.
“The best way for the university sector to improve Indigenous economic inclusion is to offer access to business education, no matter where people are located,” Associate Professor Evans said.
“The Indigenous business sector is a vibrant, diverse sector that spans across all industries and geographic locations of Australia. And it is growing, with Indigenous entrepreneurs and boards deciding where to position in the market and how to give back to Indigenous communities.”
The Centre will become a primary resource for governments and corporations, providing previously unavailable research and data to inform policy and provide insights into procurement and Indigenous engagement activities.
Earlier this year the Centre team, working with Indigenous Business Data Custodians and the Melbourne Institute, delivered Australia’s inaugural Indigenous Business Snapshot and developed the Indigenous Business Longitudinal Analysis Data Environment (I-BLADE) 1.0, a project the Centre will continue developing.
The launch coincides with the announcement of two major partnerships with the Centre: Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), one of Australia’s leading bodies supporting Indigenous businesses, and the Minderoo Foundation.
IBA’s partnership is one of the largest it has signed with an educational institution. IBA’s Director of Community and Customer Experience, Arrernte woman Stella de Cos, said the Centre provided a new level of resourcing to support the rapid
growth of Indigenous businesses.
“Entrepreneurship and building strong business skills provide a clear path to achieving financial success and economic independence for Indigenous Australians and our communities,” she said.
“Since 2014, IBA has supported the MURRA program, so this expansion to partner with regional programs, with a dedicated online platform, is another step towards our commitment for a nation in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
are economically independent and an integral part of the economy.
“By supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs to build on their success, to contribute and grow business on country and within their own eco-systems, we can continue to foster the growth of a vibrant, sustainable Indigenous business sector, and true
economic empowerment.”
Generation One, an initiative of Minderoo Foundation, has a mission to create employment parity with and for Indigenous Australians.
CEO Shelley Cable, a MURRA alumna, said the Dilin Duwa partnership would build on the University’s strong history of backing Indigenous entrepreneurs and increasing support available nationwide.
“The Indigenous business sector contributes billions of dollars to our economy, and demand for Indigenous goods and services continues to grow. Through Australia’s first Centre dedicated to Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs, the
sector will be supported to reach new heights, resulting in meaningful progress towards Indigenous employment parity, led by self-determining Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses,” Ms. Cable said.
Expanding on the foundations built by the award-winning MURRA Indigenous Business Program and the recent online Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Business Leadership, the Centre will also be guided by an Indigenous Advisory
Group made up of Indigenous business and leaders, including Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Di Kerr, Dr Blaze Kwaymullina and IBA’s Stella de Cos.
The Centre will follow Indigenous terms of reference to ensure cultural priorities and protocols are observed. Staffing and leadership are majority-Indigenous: Associate Professor Evans, Lecturer - Indigenous Communities Ash Francisco, Associate Lecturer – Indigenous Programs Mitchell Hibbens and Centre Manager Steven Clarke.
“My hope is that Dilin Duwa will provide a space where established Indigenous business owners, teachers, aspiring entrepreneurs, corporate organisations, and government can come together to realise the dream of an economically powerful Indigenous Australia,” Associate Professor Evans said.
Kirsty Moore appointed as new CEO at Indigenous Business Australia.The Minister for Indigenous Australians has confirmed the appointment of Kirsty Moore as the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) after a competitive recruitment process.
With experience across a broad array of sectors and skills, Kirsty is well equipped to lead the organisation into the next steps of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to achieve their goals of home ownership, starting or growing a business, and investment opportunities.
Kirsty joined IBA in 2018 as head of Products and Markets where she increased the program alignment across areas, helped to develop and drive key strategies to find long-term funding solutions for IBA to ultimately benefit our customers and the communities we serve, and supported the growth of the business. She has been in the acting CEO role since 31 May 2021.
Prior to joining IBA, Kirsty was a senior executive with the WA Government where she had responsibility for business development, low deposit home loans, shared equity and asset management of the $14.5bn WA social housing portfolio.
Kirsty’s experience spans outside the public sector with time spent at PricewaterhouseCoopers and National Australia Bank. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, she has a strong background in technical accounting, corporate governance and commercial finance.
Experience matters, and combined with the appreciation for our cause and passion for Indigenous outcomes will support the additional element required to lead IBA’s vision.
With her beginnings in social housing, Kirsty grew up in Lancashire UK before moving to Australia. She was the first in her family to finish year 12. With support from her grandfather and a teacher who saw her potential, she advanced her opportunities. Her passion is to help people who need a bit of belief and support.
“I believe that all people deserve opportunities. That is why I work at IBA and why I want to create opportunities for people who are ready,” said Kirsty.
“It is a great privilege to be trusted to lead this long-standing, highly successful organisation that has helped so many Indigenous Australians achieve their dreams and become contributors to both their communities and Australia as a whole.”
The appointment was welcomed today by IBA’s Chairperson Eddie Fry, who received the correspondence from the Minister of Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt.
“Kirsty has the full support of the IBA Board and staff to continue the great work underway by the organisation. She is deeply invested in the financial success and economic independence of Indigenous Australians.
“The dedication and experience that Kirsty brings to the organisation is exceptional. She will take IBA further into the future, challenging ideas and engaging across communities, stakeholders and government.
“The trials for the business, our customers, staff and families dealing with the impacts of COVID continue. Under Kirsty’s leadership to date and now in the top job, I know we will be resilient and adapt into the future.
“The IBA Board looks forward to working collaboratively with Kirsty and to greatly increase our achievements in the coming years for the benefit of Indigenous Australians and therefore all of Australia.”
Media contact: Tara Toohill 0427 011 938 or tara.toohill@iba.gov.au
The thought of owning a stable home for a blended family of seven seemed like a distant dream for Palawa couple Brianna and James. That was until a family member introduced them to IBA.
With their goal in mind and the support of IBA, they started their journey to home ownership. Now they are proof that anything is possible with the right plan.
When Brianna left her previous relationship, she ended up with mountains of debt and a bad credit rating. James had owned a home in the past, but the couple thought owning a home together was out of reach.
After hearing about IBA, they took the first step in their home ownership journey. They jumped onto the IBA website to start exploring the requirements. They were able to identify what areas they needed to improve on before applying for a home loan and worked out achievable steps to get there.
Brianna and James attended IBA’s workshops on budgeting and preparing for home ownership which encouraged them to create a two-year plan. Cutting their expenses and sticking to a budget were top priorities. They also started paying down their smaller debts and then moved on to tackling their bigger debts.
“We buckled down and started saving money and cutting costs everywhere we could,” says Brianna.
“We would call our utility providers regularly to make sure we were getting the best rate. We’d do up and sell old furniture; wherever we could make or save money we would.”
After two years of getting their finances back on track, their dream of owning their own home was becoming a reality, and they reached back out to IBA and applied for a home loan.
“The day we were approved, we found the perfect block of land. We rang the agent to enquire the next day and we bought. Everything just fell into place perfectly.”
Brianna says that cutting costs and living on a strict budget has all been worth it.
“Owning our own home brings a new chapter. It provides a stable roof over our kids’ heads and somewhere they know they can always call home. It also teaches them that anything is possible if you put your mind to it,” says Brianna.
“With everything that has happened in our past, we never thought this would be possible. We thought we’d be renting for the next six years. We wouldn’t be here without the help of IBA.”
June couldn’t come quick enough for the family of seven as they get the keys to their brand new, freshly built home that has room for the whole family.
Find out more about IBA’s regional construction loan package to build your perfect family home like Brianna and James did!
Keep an eye out on our website for our upcoming home ownership workshops, (info session, budgeting and understanding credit) and register to find out more.
IBA have partnered with the Black Magic Woman Podcast to bring you a series of episodes that will be based on a variety of topics including housing, business, youth, women, investing, financial literacy, economic development and COVID-19 recovery.
On episode 67 of the podcast, Mundanara yarns with her fourth guest of the IBA partnership series - proud Yugara woman Lynda Maybanks, from Ipswich. Lynda is passionate about improving social outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through reviving Yugara culture and restoring Yugara country with her business, Wirrinyah Conservation Services.
“Wirrinyah” means coming back in Yugara language. It represents the ongoing revival of Yugara ways of caring for country. Wirrinyah focuses on working with businesses, Government and landowners in Southeast Queensland to restore our natural areas, conserve our native species and protect Aboriginal cultural heritage sites for the enjoyment of all Australians.
We find out how Wirrinyah Conservation Services came about, what role IBA played in that and how IBA supported Lynda on her business journey. A really good listen that ties in perfectly with the 2021 NAIDOC theme ‘Heal Country’.
"It wasn’t until I went on the IBA Futures Forum [that] I realised what the possibilities could be. I never really thought about business ownership as an option in my career. I always thought ‘oh yeah, you know I’ll probably work my way up in the public service and try to become a decision-maker that way’ but I think after a couple of years in the public service and seeing through IBA the options in business ownership – I thought ‘oh, you can probably reach your goals through business ownership a lot faster and under your own terms.’"
"Heal Country to me means, reconnecting with Mother Earth, reconnecting with culture, reconnecting with your ancestors. I’m a big believer that if Country is well then your people are well. It is important for you to just go out and be on Country and be where you feel like you can belong and where you can feel like you can contribute to a healthier world and a healthier future for our next generation." - Lynda Maybanks, Wirrinyah Conservation Services
A very inspirational yarn you don't want to miss!
Listen to the episode here.
IBA created a series of videos and fact sheets for those interested in building their own home. This is to support our regional construction home loans but applies to anyone wanting to review building their own home.
The 5-part video series (20 mins total), called BRICK BY BRICK, includes a discussion between Yawaru woman Justine Kinney and property expert Garrick Smith on how to think through the big steps of construction. The videos were filmed by Supply Nation certified company, The Digital Factory.
Now we have a 3-part fact sheet series of frequently asked questions for:
Check out all the details from our regional construction loan page.
CSIRO are working with Australia’s first and only Aboriginal owned-and-operated ground station provider to bring data down to Earth.
The ground station, located near Alice Springs and owned by the Centre for Appropriate Technology (CfAT), will download the data from the NovaSAR-1 satellite as it passes overhead. This data is then sent to the CSIRO so it can be processed and made available to registered users of their national facility for things like agriculture and natural disaster management.
This will mark the first time Australia has managed its own source of Earth observation data.
IBA provided the funding to construct the ground station at CfAT a couple years ago and it launched last year so this is just the next step in the process.
Peter Renehan, CfAT CEO, said access to NovaSAR-1 has the potential to benefit many Indigenous communities, like Indigenous rangers who look after land and sea and can use imagery from space to help do their jobs. It also puts Aboriginal people at the forefront of Australia’s growing space sector.
“It’s important that we can build and own facilities like this right here in central Australia and feel proud that Aboriginal Australians are making such an important contribution to supporting the development of Australia’s sovereign capability in the space industry,” Mr Renehan said.
Read the CSIRO Media Release or check out their blogpost for more detail about the great work of CfAT and CSIRO’s RAP initiatives.
Owning a home is the single greatest investment most people will make in their lives. Building your home brings pride and joy, however it is complicated and daunting to most people.
IBA created a 5-part series (20 mins total) called BRICK BY BRICK, with Yawaru woman Justine Kinney and property expert Garrick Smith to provide information and comfort to those thinking about taking the big step to construct.
The videos were filmed by Supply Nation certified company, The Digital Factory.
Check out the full playlist on our YouTube channel.
Tennant Creek’s IGA supermarket is expected to open by November of this year, after an extensive reconstruction and fit-out of the old site.
The IGA had to be relocated to a temporary site after the Paterson Street building, including adjoining retailers, was destroyed by arson in July 2020.
The supermarket and buildings are owned by Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation (JCAC) and Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), who are each 50% shareholders.
“The rebuild and fit-out was scheduled to be completed in September,” says IBA’s Executive Director, Government and Public Relations, Sean Armistead. “However, our project manager advises that due to a range of issues, including disruptions to the building industry around Australia, we expect the open date to now be November.”
“We are doing everything in our power to get the work finished as fast as possible and to provide a store that meets the expectations and needs of the local community.”
Once construction of the building is complete, the building will be handed over to IBA Retail Asset Management (IRAM), which manages and operates the store, for a comprehensive fit-out.
“Our partnership board has approved the design, our architect has ordered all the specialist fittings, including refrigeration and shelving, and we have awarded tenders for the fit out,” IRAM CEO John Kop said.
“The reconstruction project gave us a chance to modernise the store lay out and facilities, so we’re keen to get on with it and re-open our doors,” Mr Kop said.
IRAM has operated a temporary store co-located with the town’s BP Service Station since August 2020.
“We were able to get up and running relatively quickly, as we could share computer systems and facilities, such as the BP kitchen and storage shed,” Mr Kop said.
“With the help of our owners, the Julalikari and IBA partnership, we have invested in substantial upgrades to the facility over the past year, which has enabled us to trade as normally as possible,” he said.
“We now stock nearly our full range of goods and have maintained competitive supermarket prices at both the temporary supermarket and BP Service Station, with weekly specials,” Mr Kop said.
Mr Kop said the current tourist season had increased trade at the supermarket and BP service station but supplies from Adelaide were holding up well.
“Tennant Creek is booked out and we expect to be busy in coming weeks, with events such as the Finke Desert Race,” he said.
Media contacts
Tara Toohill, for IBA on 0427 011 938
Jane Munday, True North Strategic Communication, for IRAM on 0427 880 083
A singing collaboration in the Northern Territory has shown how music can unify communities.
The Barkly Voices Project, sponsored by Indigenous Business Australia (IBA)’s subsidiary IBA Retail Asset Management (IRAM), saw 160 schoolchildren, Traditional Owners and community members from the Barkly Region contribute their voices.
The resulting four and a half-minute video clip of ‘Keep My Culture Strong’ was released today.
The Barkly Voices Project arranged and remixed a song composed and recorded by Barkly musician Brian Morton and Australian musician and songwriter Neil Murray.
“We wanted to show the Barkly Region in a positive light,” says Julianne Croft, a musician and artistic director who coordinated the project via her role at Barkly Regional Arts.
The idea for the online singing collaboration came from IRAM CEO John Kop during COVID-19 lockdowns after seeing the diverse virtual choirs popping up around the world. He arranged sponsorship from IRAM, a subsidiary of IBA, which manages the Tennant Creek supermarket.
Barkly Voices participants were invited to use their smart phones to simultaneously listen to Brian Morton’s backing track and record audio-visual files, which were posted on an interactive website for editing. This was balanced by participants recorded either on site or at the Winanjjikari Music Centre studio at Barkly Regional Arts.
Four schools took part in the collaboration including Tennant Creek Primary School, the Munkarta Homelands, Murray Downs (Imangarra) Primary School and Elliott Public School (with singer Ray Dimakarri Dixon). Other organisations contributing their voices included Catholic Care, Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre and Papulu Apparr-Kari Language Centre.
“The kids were great,” says Julianne Croft. “It was a really positive experience for them.”
Sean Armistead, Executive Director of Government & Public Relations at IBA, notes that contributing to local Indigenous communities for positive economic outcomes is core to IBA’s purpose.
“Projects like the Barkly Voices shine a positive light on Australia’s Indigenous culture – and something we should all be proud to promote.
“The theme of Reconciliation Week 2021 is ‘More than a word, reconciliation takes action’ and this video shows what action can look like.”
Barkly Regional Arts also receives sponsorship from the Northern Territory and Australian Governments.
Media contact: Tara Toohill 0427 011 938 or tara.toohill@iba.gov.au
Sitting by the firelight,
The moon is shining bright.
Listening to all the people
Telling the Dream Time story.
I’m thinking very deeply,
About that dreaming.
How it is the backbone to this land.
Keep my culture strong.
Keep my culture strong.
Culture is the main thing.
It’s our identity and meaning.
It’s the way to survive.
We can’t forget our ancestors.
We gotta keep it all alive,
And pass it on to our children.
Keep my culture strong.
Keep my culture strong.
Keep my culture strong.
And carry on.
[Bridge] (spoken in different First Nations’ languages and Chinese, Indonesian and French languages of Barkly singers: “Keep our culture strong, keep our children strong, keep our country strong”)
Well, I’m standing in my country.
I feel the power in the ground.
It’s what the old people said.
When my time is done and I no longer walk this earth,
My spirit will return to the place I love.
Keep my culture strong.
Keep my culture strong.
Keep my culture strong.
And carry on.
Keep my culture strong.
Keep my culture strong.
Keep my culture strong.
And carry on.
The launch of two new strategic partnerships – Australian Unity Bank and Bank Australia – supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in their financial success.
The partnership demonstrates an important collaboration with segments of the corporate sector committed to the economic independence of Indigenous Australians.
Australian Unity Bank and Bank Australia will deliver a diverse range of products and services to IBA customers that facilitate financial success and economic independence in a relevant and culturally sensitive way.
Christine Yates, Chief Executive Officer of Retail, Australian Unity, said the partnership reaffirmed Australian Unity’s commitment to building strong and respectful relationships with Indigenous Australia.
“I am proud that Australian Unity Bank has entered into a partnership with IBA to support members of the Indigenous community own a home and support economic empowerment.”
“We know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain overrepresented among financially vulnerable Australians, and that home ownership can lead to significantly improved socio-economic outcomes,” Ms Yates said.
Damien Walsh, Bank Australia Managing Director said that partnering with IBA to provide values-aligned access to finance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is an important step in helping to build a fairer and more inclusive society.
“Working with IBA will help us to better meet the needs of First Nations people on their home ownership journeys, and we hope to continue to learn from IBA to improve our ability to support First Nations people in building their financial independence.”
IBA provided their 20,000th home loan to the Indigenous community in 2020. This bank panel arrangement builds on IBA’s ongoing commitment to Indigenous prosperity, reconciliation and genuine relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their communities and Indigenous businesses.
Peter O’Neill, Acting Chief Executive Officer of IBA, said the partnerships with Australian Unity Bank and Bank Australia would support new and existing customers take ownership of their home and their future.
“We’re always working hard to ensure the best for our customers, and after months of discussion we are delighted to partner with two banks that align with our values to provide new lending options,” Mr O’Neill said.
“These strategic partnerships demonstrate an important collaboration with segments of the corporate sector committed to the economic independence of Indigenous Australians.”
The dedicated teams at both banks have undertaken formal cultural understanding training to ensure a smooth transition for IBA customers and provide them with the guidance and service quality they are accustomed to through their existing relationship.
IBA media contact: Tara Toohill 0427 011 938 or tara.toohill@iba.gov.au
Australian Unity media contact: Ellen Donald, Six O’Clock Advisory, 0400 359 597, www.australianunity.com.au
Bank Australia media contact: Cheyne McKee, 03 9854 4899, www.bankaust.com.au
