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House
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Issued
by: House of Representatives Liaison & Projects Office, Tuesday 24 June, 2008
Developing Indigenous enterprises - the road
to economic independence
Strategies
to develop Indigenous enterprises are the focus of a new inquiry by the House
of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Affairs.
While the Indigenous unemployment
rate fell from 20% to 16% between 2001 and 2006, unemployment for Indigenous Australians
remains more than three times the non-Indigenous unemployment rate.
The
Chair of the Committee, Richard Marles MP said "Developing Indigenous enterprises
can reduce unemployment rates and assist communities in achieving economic independence.
As well as providing employment, successful Indigenous businesses and enterprises
can develop ideas and skills and provide role models for others."
He
added "Indigenous enterprises can enable Indigenous communities in all locations
from Sydney to Kununurra to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities.
The Committee is interested in looking at programs and models of assistance which
have been successful, both here and overseas."
The
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has
asked the Committee to inquire into and report on opportunities for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people to grow small and medium-sized business. This
includes Indigenous controlled enterprises and businesses where Indigenous people
are joint venture partners. In particular the Committee will focus on:
- whether current government, industry and community
programs offering specific enterprise support programs and services to Indigenous
enterprises are effective, particularly in building sustainable relationships
with the broader business sector;
- identifying
areas of Indigenous commercial advantage and strength;
- the
feasibility of adapting the US minority business/development council model to
the Australian context; and
- whether incentives
should be provided to encourage successful businesses to sub contract, do business
with or mentor new Indigenous enterprises.
The Committee is particularly interested in
exploring whether the model of a minority business/development council model would
assist in the development of Indigenous enterprises in Australia.
The
Committee will accept submissions until Friday,
18 July 2008. Further details on the inquiry, including the complete terms of reference,
background documents, and advice on making submissions can be obtained on the
Committee's website at www.aph.gov.au/atsia
or by contacting the committee secretariat on (02) 6277 4559 or emailing atsia.reps@aph.gov.au.
For background information, contact the committee secretariat on (02) 6277 4559 or
atsia.reps@aph.gov.au.
Issued by:
Liaison & Projects Office, House of Representatives
Tel: (02) 6277 2063 w
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