Indigenous contractors: On the rise
BY: JESSICA CUMMINS The number of Indigenous Australians working in the mining industry has more than doubled since the 1990s. The Australian Mining Review speaks with WA Aboriginal Affairs minister Ben Wyatt and PwC about the challenges and major developments that have shaped the sector. GOVERNMENT initiatives such as the Federal Indigenous Procurement Policy and the WA Aboriginal Procurement Policy have played a key role in facilitating the prosperity of Indigenous businesses. Comprising three main parts, the Federal Procurement Policy ensures a target of three per cent of Commonwealth contracts were awarded to Indigenous businesses; ensures a mandatory was set aside for remote contracts and contracts valued between $80,000 and $200,000; and a minimum Indigenous participation requirement in contracts valued…