CIPSA WA 'Contracting Indigenous Communities' event a huge success

As its key event of 2011, the WA CIPSA committee hosted a business breakfast supporting the use of procurement and supplier relationship management as a practical expression of Australian reconciliation. 

This event showed a particular interest in how procurement professionals can make a difference and turn corporate vision into operational reality.

Ingrid Cumming, a custodian of the Whadjuk Nyungar, provided a welcome to Country, followed by presentations by Natalie Walker, CEO of the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC) and a supplier perspective from Daniel Tucker, Managing Director of Carey Mining.

Natalie outlined her vision is for AIMSC to play a leading role in building a vibrant and prosperous Indigenous enterprise sector. With more than 120 companies available, Natalie demonstrated how economic benefits can flow through to support community growth and skills development within Australian indigenous communities.

The presentation from Carey Mining showed how suppliers can work at the high policy level to meet the onerous demands of the resources sector.  Daniel Tucker outlined his own experience from studying geology at Curtin University, to his work in establishing Carey Mining as a family business for contract mining 1995.  Having presented a historical view of indigenous contract, Daniel provided an estimate of Western Austalia’s planned investment projects over the next fifteen years at around $220 billion, noting that a significant part of what Aboriginal people are trying to do now is share in Australia’s opportunity and prosperity.

The CIPSA WA committee received a strong response and endorsement from its membership in response to the presentation.