$179m contracts for Aboriginal businesses

Two Aboriginal businesses have been awarded $179 million of contracts by Fortescue Metals Group, with chief executive Elizabeth Gaines saying the miner was focused on practical initiatives to end disparity.

Roebourne-based Wirlu-murra Enterprises won the first contract, for maintenance of non-process infrastructure at the Solomon iron ore mining hub.

The second contract was awarded to a joint venture of Eastern Guruma and Wirlu-murra, the EG WME JV.

That will be for resource definition services and road maintenance at Solomon.

Fortescue said they were the largest contracts awarded so far to 100 per cent Aboriginal businesses.

For Wirlu-murra, which is controlled by the Wirlu-murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, it is a big step ahead.

The business was only founded about six years ago.

Wirlu-murra had previously worked on the non process infrastructure maintenance contract through a joint venture with Thiess.

That enabled Wirlu-murra to build the business capability and capacity to manage the contract independently, Fortescue said. 

Today’s announcements are the largest contracts awarded to 100 per cent Aboriginal owned businesses in Fortescue’s history, the company said.

It brings the total value of contracts awarded by Fortescue to Aboriginal businesses and joint ventures to $2.3 billion since 2011.

Ms Gaines said the company had provided local native title groups the chance to build sustainable futures.

“We are delighted to see Aboriginal businesses we have partnered with for some time grow and prosper,” she said. 

“These contracts establish Wirlu-murra as one of the largest Aboriginal businesses in Australia and, significantly, empowers them to deliver further employment opportunities for Aboriginal people,” Ms Gaines said.

Speaking to journalists, Ms Gaines said that while other businesses supported an indigneous voice in parliament, as outlined in the Uluru Statement, Fortescue was focussed on practical impact.

“We commend any businesses who are committed to ending disparity, that's an overriding objective,” she said

“Our approach is to really focus on those practical initiatives that we know make long and lasting differences.

“It really is about engaging with business, providing those opportunities, working with Aboriginal businesses.

“We think by doing that, we’re making a significant contribution to ending disparity.”