This report was prepared by the Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE), led by Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Director. It was produced as part of the programme of work of the OECD Regional Development Policy Committee (RDPC).
The development of this study was made possible thanks to the support of the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), formerly Indigenous Affairs within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The report was co-ordinated by Chris McDonald, (Policy Analyst, CFE), under the supervision of José Enrique Garcilazo, Head of the Regional and Rural Policy Unit (CFE) of the Regional Development and Tourism Division, led by Alain Dupeyras (CFE). Chris McDonald was the lead author of the report, with contributions for Chapter 2 from Laura Springare (Policy Analyst, CFE), and for Chapter 4 from Lisanne Raderschall (Policy Analyst, CFE). We would also like to thank Dr Kirrily Jordan, Dr Francis Markham, and Emeritus Professor John Altman from the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australia National University for their report Linking Indigenous Communities with Regional Development – Australia Overview that provided valuable inputs for this study. We would also like to thank Jeanette Pope (external consultant) who made contributions to this report.
The OECD Secretariat extends its thanks to the local team co‑ordinators for their involvement, continuous support and close co-operation to the project: Elizabeth Hoyt, Elizabeth Crombie and Avinash Clarke from the NIAA. Close support and coordination were also provided from staff from within the NIAA regional network: Emma Renshaw, Henry O’Loughlin, Ray Wallis, Raquel Stewart, Shirley Shepherd, Byron Matthews, Kira Kudinoff, Gannon da Silva, Eilis Arnold, Casey Greentree, Alistair Sherwin, Robyn Stacey, Grant Astles, and Pallas Masina.
Special thanks are extended to our peer reviewers: Dawn Madahbee Leach, Vice Chair of the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, Canada, Sheilagh Murphy, Assistant Deputy Minister, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Staci Hare, Senior Policy Analyst, Te Puni Kōkiri, New Zealand, and Richard Laverty, Chief Adviser, Te Puni Kōkiri.
Special thanks go also to all Indigenous community representatives, leaders and entrepreneurs, for their guidance, expertise and feedback that have accompanied us on this journey. The project team directly engaged with Indigenous Australians across six different regions. Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) and Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) lands, Broome and the Dampier Peninsula (including Mercedes Cove, Munget Aboriginal Corporation, Lombadina, Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation, and the Kimberley Land Council) East Arnhem Land (Baniyala, Gumatj Corporation, and the Northern Land Council), Ntari/Hermannsburg, Shepparton, and Western Sydney. Indigenous leaders and institutions that we engaged with in this study included: Peter Yu, Chief Executive Officer of the Yawuru Corporate Group, Paul Briggs, Executive Chairman, Kaiela Institute, Rosanna Angus and Brian Lee of the Ardyaloon and Djarindjin communities, Wayne Bergmann of KRED enterprises, Tyronne Garstone, Chief Executive Officer, Kimberley Land Council, Maureen O’Meara, Chief Executive Officer, Aarnja Ltd., Paul Lane, Kimberley Institute, Paul Kruspe, General Manager, Kinaway, Victorian Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce, Erin McKinnon, Reconciliation Victoria, Deb Barwick, New South Wales Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Tharawal Local Aboriginal Land Council, New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, Warren Mundine, Executive Chairman of the Australian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Inner Sydney Empowered Communities, Muru Mittigar Aboriginal Cultural and Education Centre, Central Land Council, Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation and Tangentyere Council, Wurla Nyinta Local Reference Group, Tjuwanpa Outstation Resource Centre, Albert Namatjira House, Regional Anangu Services Aboriginal Corporation, Umuwa Trade Training Centre, Pukatja Council, Mai Wiru Regional Stores Council Aboriginal Corporation, Pitjantjatjara/Yankunytjatjara Education Committee, APY Art Centre Collective, the APY Executive, Djambawa Marawili, member Prime Ministers Indigenous Advisory Council, and Klaus Helms and Djawa Yunupingu from the Gamajt Aboriginal Corporation.
The report also benefited from the guidance, support and comments from the following government officials, and non-government organisations: Jonathan Kneebone and Kia Dowell, Indigenous Business Australia, Danny Lester, New South Wales Ombudsman, Heather Nesbitt, Greater Sydney Commission, New South Wales Government (Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Treasury, and Aboriginal Affairs), Elizabeth Liddle, Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Brigid Monagle, Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, Sam Birrell - Committee for Greater Shepparton, Peter Gray – Hume Regional Development Australia Committee, Matt Nelson - Regional Development Victoria, Joshua Atkinson - Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, Peter Harriott, City of Greater Shepparton, Luana Cormac, Department of the Chief Minister, Northern Territory Government, Scott Lovett, Department of Business, Trade and Innovation, Northern Territory Government, John Di Maria and Stuart Ord, Tourism NT, Mischa Cartwright and Andy Ross, Office of Aboriginal Affairs, Knowledge Desert Australia, Alice Springs Town Council, MacDonnell Regional Council, South Australian Department of Education, and Craig Macauley, South Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Thanks are also extended to the team, who contributed to the preparation of the manuscript in CFE: Jeanette Duboys and Pilar Philip; as well as to Alexandra Taylor and her communications team for dissemination and social media support.