NSW MINERALS
INDUSTRY BASED AGREEMENT
Annual Report 2014
Through OCHRE (Opportunity, Choice, Healing,
Responsibility, Empowerment), the NSW
Government has committed to a long term
approach in supporting greater employment and
business opportunities for Aboriginal people.
The NSW minerals industry is a signiﬁcant
economic contributor to regional NSW, both
directly through employment and enterprise
development, and indirectly through supporting
broader economic opportunities and
communities. NSW mining recognises that its
future is an integral part of the economic futures
of these regions and communities.
Healing
Opportunity
Empowerment
Choice
Responsibility
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In June 2013, the NSW Minerals Council CEO signed an Industry Based
Agreement (IBA) with the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and the Minister of
Resources focussed on delivering Aboriginal employment and enterprise
development outcomes in New South Wales.
“The NSW minerals industry through NSWMC and the NSW Government
commit to work together and with Aboriginal stakeholders to create
sustainable economic development and employment opportunities that
will contribute to building and supporting strong Aboriginal communities
in NSW mining regions.”- IBA Agreement
This objective is being achieved through the implementation of an IBA Action Plan
which harnesses joint efforts and builds on the current strengths and capacities to
develop new opportunities for Aboriginal people in the following areas:
• Education and training (including work readiness)
• Employment in the NSW minerals industry, including businesses servicing
the industry
• Enterprise and business development.
UPDATE ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE THREE PARTNERS
INVOLVED IN THE IBA AND GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
NSW Minerals Council
NSW Minerals Council (NSWMC) engaged two IBA Coordinators in March 2014 to
lead the implementation of the Action Plan. Since this time, with the assistance of
the IBA Coordinators, the NSWMC has coordinated IBA Steering Committee
meetings and coordinated deliverables under the 2014 Action Plan.
Aboriginal Affairs
As the government agency responsible for coordinating the implementation of
OCHRE, Aboriginal Affairs has worked to ensure that efforts under the IBA are
integrated with other related OCHRE initiatives. The agency is also responsible
for administering the NSW Government’s ﬁnancial IBA contribution. Aboriginal
Affairs has also provided advice on working effectively with Aboriginal
communities to maximise employment outcomes.
Department of Trade and Investment NSW
DITIRS have actively contributed to Steering Committee meetings as well as
generously provided ofﬁce space for the IBA Coordinators in Maitland.
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Governance Structure
An IBA Steering Committee has been established to oversee the development and
implementation of the IBA Action Plan. Membership of the committee included
representatives from the NSW Minerals Council and its members, Trade and
Investment, Ofﬁce of Aboriginal Affairs, New South Wales Indigenous Chamber of
Commerce and Aboriginal Employment Strategy.
An invitation was extended to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to
participate on the Steering Committee.
2014 ACTION PLAN
In March 2014, the IBA Steering Committee endorsed the 2014 Action Plan which
was developed to implement the IBA commitments.
The 2014 Action Plan captures a range of activities within the following four key
areas:
• Industry Capacity
• Pre-Employment
• Employment
• Enterprise Development
IBA ACTION PLAN - PILLAR 1: INDUSTRY CAPACITY
Aim
Increase NSW mining industry capacity to support Aboriginal industry and
Aboriginal enterprise activities within their organisation.
Industry Forum
The IBA Action Plan commits the NSWMC to hosting two Industry Forums in 2014
aimed at building industry capacity by sharing industry best practice, highlighting
opportunities and encouraging new industry members to participate in Aboriginal
employment and enterprise development.
The ﬁrst industry forum was held in Singleton in June 2014. Twenty seven
participants attended the forum with 17 of those attendees from industry. The
forum showcased the IBA 2014 Action Plan and provided case studies from both
industry leaders and Aboriginal enterprises about current success and
opportunites. The afternoon session was a closed industry forum for NSWMC
members who discussed issues relating to industry capacity to engage with
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Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal enterprises. The aim was to establish
support and to scope topics for future events. The next Industry Forum will be
held in November 2014.
Industry Knowledge Base
The NSWMC has commenced collating input from industry members on lessons
and successes in working with Aboriginal people and communities to generate
and maintain employment outcomes. This information is being developed into
Fact Sheets for distribution to industry members as examples of best practise.
The fact sheets will be disseminated to members and promoted in media print
including Coalface/Rockface as well as though the NSWMC website and via
NSWMC social media.
IBA ACTION PLAN - PILLAR 2: PRE-EMPLOYMENT
Aim
Increase community capacity to undertake education and training activities,
therefore enabling employment opportunities.
Opportunity Hubs
Opportunity Hubs aim to provide Aboriginal young people with the conﬁdence and
knowledge to follow a supported pathway between secondary school and further
education and/or employment. To achieve this outcome, Opportunity Hubs are
building partnerships between schools, employers, education and training
providers and the local community to coordinate and match Aboriginal students
with local education, training and employment opportunities. There are four
Opportunity Hubs operating in the Upper Hunter Valley, Dubbo, Tamworth and
Campbelltown. These Hubs are:
• Aboriginal Employment Services, Singleton
• CentaCare Wilcannia - Forbes, Dubbo
• Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council, Tamworth
• Marrickville Training Centre (MET), Campbelltown
Through the NSW Minerals IBA, opportunities are being explored to strengthen
linkages between the mining sector and Opportunity Hubs, with a particular
emphasis on the Dubbo and Singleton Hubs. The participation of the Singleton
Opportunity Hub in the Industry Forum is an example of this work.
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Support to Stay in School
NSW Minerals Council is committed to providing employment opportunities to
Aboriginal students through the scholarship programs. In 2014 3 Aboriginal
students were awarded scholarships from NSWMC with an additional 3 from
member companies.
The winners were:
• Michael Jeffrey, Year 11, Dubbo Senior College
(sponsored by Alkane Resources)
• Eleanor Santiago, Year 11, St Patrick’s College Campbelltown
(sponsored by BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal)
• Francis Spackman, Year 11, Narromine High School
(sponsored by NSWMC)
• Jake Hemming, Year 12, Forbes High School
(sponsored by NSWMC)
• Edwina Latham, Year 11, Rutherford High School
(sponsored by NSWMC)
• Ben Bevan, Year 11, Parkes High School
(sponsored by Sumitomo Metal Mining Oceania)
IBA ACTION PLAN - PILLAR 3: EMPLOYMENT
Aim
Increase the number of Aboriginal people employed (directly or indirectly) in
the NSW mining industry.
NSW Minerals Council and Steering Committee members acknowledged the
mining industry is a cyclical nature and at the moment is facing some economic
difﬁculties. This has had a signiﬁcant impact on the ability for any key Aboriginal
employment activities to be implemented. Extensive research within the mining
industry is showing that some industry members are continuing with business and
developing capacity building programs around Aboriginal engagement.
IBA ACTION PLAN - PILLAR 4: ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
Indigenous Trade Fairs
NSW Minerals Council will organise two Trade Fairs designed to increase the
awareness of Aboriginal engagement and employment capacity, the Trade Fair
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aims to showcase the mining industry and associated industries such as building,
construction, health and hospitality employment opportunities for the Aboriginal
community and Aboriginal enterprises within their regions. The ﬁrst trade fair took
place in Dubbo in late July/August.
INDUSTRY INITIATIVES - CASE STUDIES
Rio Tinto - Coal and Allied Indigenous Employment
Coal and Allied are striving to increase opportunities for Aboriginal people and
have a comprehensive Employment Strategy to achieve this. Coal and Allied also
offer practical programs to assist Aboriginal people achieve higher rates of
participation in the workforce and particularly in the mining industry.
Coal and Allied have implemented a training program in their Hunter Valley
Operations which has thus far resulted in ﬁve Aboriginal people employed as
mining operators. The 12 week program involved theoretic lessons and practical
training on-site to ensure the participants were well equipped with skills that will
enable them to gain future employment.
Coal and Allied, in partnership with Pegasus, also offered traineeship to
Indigenous people giving them an opportunity to undertake National accredited
mining qualiﬁcations.
Programs such as these are beneﬁcial to Aboriginal people as they offer practical
training and qualiﬁcations that allow the participants to pursue a career in the
mining industry. This then has ﬂow-down socio-economic effects for the broader
Indigenous community, as well as the region overall.
BHP Billiton - Warrae Wanni Pathways to School Program
“At Muswellbrook South Public School, we are closing the GAP and ARE making a
difference in our young children’s lives and their families. We have planted the
seeds and are beginning to reap the benefits of supporting parents and their
children by developing strong partnerships with our local Aboriginal community,
interagency and big business to reduce the gap and make a difference in their
lives of young children and their families. The seeds are beginning to grow!”
– Rebecca Langdon, Principal MSPS
Warrae Wanni Pathways to School Program is a school readiness program at
Muswellbrook South Public School (MSPS) involving preschool-aged children
(4-5 years) who do not attend a play group, preschool or any other form of early
childhood learning.
Research conﬁrms that there are direct links between poor education and
unemployment, health issues and other disadvantage factors. With a growing
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number of working families in the Muswellbrook region, and a lack of affordable
childcare and early education facilities, Aboriginal and disadvantaged groups have
limited access to child care services.
Warrae Wanni is about breaking the cycle of poverty and creating opportunities for
children to learn before they start kindergarten. It provides quality early childhood
education, as well as access to essential services such as audiometry, optometry
and occupational and speech therapy. It encourages often disengaged parents to
value the education of their children, and provides opportunities for them to
engage with their children, other parents, and community support services.
Warrae Wanni was identiﬁed as a community development project as a result of
BHP Billiton Mt Arthur Coal’s Sustainable Communities Project which commenced
in 2010. The project partnership, which was scoped in 2011 and began ofﬁcially in
2012, is now in its third year of delivery, and is also supported by Rio Tinto Coal
and Allied.
It generates change within the community and by the community through:
• improving education preparedness and developmental vulnerability issues of
local children,
• improving access to education for a key local marginalised group,
• enhancing parental involvement in their children’s health, education and
lifestyle factors,
• building capacity of the Aboriginal community.
The Warrae Wanni program demonstrates respect for the diversity of our
communities by supporting Aboriginal and disadvantaged children and their
families. It also shows respect for the important assets that industry, government
and community can contribute toward improving quality of life in our communities.
The project is a collaborative partnership that goes beyond a unidirectional
“funder-recipient” relationship; employing a transparent capacity building process
and leveraging on the strengths of partner organisations.
Warrae Wanni is a multi-award winning program that has been recognised across
NSW and the ACT including by the NSW Minerals Council and by BHP Billiton at
its company-wide Health, Safety, Environment and Community Awards. The
program was also named the NSW / ACT Regional Achievement and Community
winner.
In December 2014 the Warrae Wanni Program proudly celebrated 31 children
graduating from the program who are now placed developmentally and
educationally in a stronger position to start their “big school” journey in 2015.
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APPENDICES AND REFERENCES
1.
Copy of 2014 Action Plan
2.
List of Steering committee members
3.
List of Steering committee meeting dates
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APPENDIX 1
1. Aboriginal Employment and Enterprise Development Industry Based
Agreement - Action Plan 2014
INDUSTRY CAPACITY
PRE-EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT *
ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
Increase NSW mining
industry capacity to support
Aboriginal employment and
Aboriginal enterprise
activities within their
organisation
Increase community
capacity to undertake
education and training
activities, therefore enabling
employment opportunities
Increase number of
Aboriginal people employed
(directly or indirectly) in the
NSW mining industry
Increase number of
Aboriginal companies
providing goods and
services to the NSW mining
industry and communities
in which they operate
Industry Forum
Opportunity Hub
Research
Indigenous Trade Fair
• run industry forum (2)
meetings to share
industry best practice,
communicate
opportunities and
encourage new industry
members to participate
• work with successful
Opportunity Hub
tenderers (AES for Upper
Hunter and CentaCare for
Dubbo) to support
development of
Opportunity Hubs
• conduct/build on existing
research and publish
factsheets on:
• run regional trade fair for
Indigenous Enterprises to
showcase their products
and services and Local
Companies to share their
needs/requirements
Industry Knowledge Base
Support to Stay in School
• collect, document and
communicate industry
program successes and
failures
• investigate further ways
industry can provide
support to encourage
Aboriginal children to stay
in school and therefore
increase community
capacity e.g.
scholarships
- what do Aboriginal
people need to have to
be employable in the
NSW mining industry
- what do industry
members need to have
in place to to employ
Aboriginal people
• invite Aboriginal
enterprises to speak at
Industry Forums
* The Action Plan is cognisant of the difﬁcult economic and employment environment currently facing the NSW
minerals sector. Few companies are currently seeking to expand their workforce and many are downsizing,
making employment creation a greater challenge in the short term. As a result the Action Plan pursues a medium
to long term approach that implements key programs to build enterprise capacity and support Aboriginal
employment and enterprise development to provide opportunities when the industry cycle improves again. At the
same time, short-term employment and enterprise opportunities will be identiﬁed and pursued with any
companies that are in a position to assist, particularly those with new or expanding mining projects.
Other 2014 Activities
Develop Action Plan for 2015 - 2016
Coordinate Steering Group Activities and Produce Annual Report
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APPENDIX 1
2. List of Steering Committee Members
Andrew McMahon (Chair) - NSW Minerals Council
Russell Couch (Alternating Chair) - Aboriginal Affairs
Stephen Galilee - NSW Minerals Council
Chrissie Clarke - NSW Minerals Council
Peter Swain - Aboriginal Affairs
Nick Lackner - Aboriginal Affairs
Bob Sutherland - Whitehaven Coal
Sally Skyrin - NSW Aboriginal Land Council
Angela Fiumara - BHP Billiton
NSW Energy Coal - Mt Arthur
Chris Hanger - Trade and Investment NSW
Cate Sims - Rio Tinto Coal and Allied
Mike Sutherland - Alkane Resources
Danny Lester - Aboriginal Employment Strategy
Deb Barwick - NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce
Please note: Not all members listed served on the Steering Committee
for the full year.
3. Steering Committee Meeting Dates
18 February 2014
3 June 2014
17 December 2014
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www.aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au