Community Transition
Developing businesses in communities and delivering wrap-around services provides equitable opportunities for local people in regional and remote areas.
Community Transition
All communities need thriving, diverse local businesses to be sustainable. We work with local governments, community organisations and chambers of commerce to create new businesses that adapt to the changing needs of individuals. In working with community organisations, we support the provision of equitable opportunities for local people, particularly in regional and remote areas.
Our Approach To Developing Businesses In Communities
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when developing businesses in local communities. We work in partnership to understand and address the specific needs of a community and to encourage economic activity.
We can assist local communities with:
- Analysing potential opportunities and barriers to sustainable business development and building strategic plans to address them.
- Managing projects for organisations that provide equitable opportunities for local people.
- Building managerial and operational capabilities in management teams that can strengthen independence and agency within the community.
- The provision of specialist advisory services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents wishing to start a business or grow an existing one.
Our specialist advisory team has over 20 years of experience in developing specific local strengths, supporting the development of cornerstone projects, boosting local participation in supply chains, and expanding the scope of what is possible for your business or organisation.
Addressing Structural Barriers In Communities
Everyone deserves to have the opportunity to start and grow a business. We support Aboriginal Corporations, community organisations, and established social enterprises to identify their strengths and address any structural barriers that prevent equitable access to business opportunities for all members of the community.
This can include a range of wrap-around services including, but not limited to:
- Tailored programs that equip people with the knowledge and confidence to start their own business.
- Facilitating literacy, numeracy and digital skills programs that empower local residents to reach their personal goals, work toward employment, and support the local economy.
- Creating structures to facilitate flexible working arrangements that support family and cultural commitments.
- Identifying other support services that can help people participate in their local economy.
We pride ourselves on delivering our tailored strategies through a supportive and respectful culture. Our employees have undergone training in cultural awareness, and we are committed to ensuring our clients’ individual needs are addressed.
Facilitating Economic Transition in Communities
Many communities in regional and remote Australia are reliant on the mining industry, which is going through a significant period of transition with the shift to net-zero. Almost 240 mines will close in Australia by 2040, and many community members want to stay in their community after closure and find new industries. Traditional owners also see the economic opportunity in closure and the return of country to their care.
We support Aboriginal Corporations, large corporations, and communities in their roadmap to economic transition. This can include:
- Supporting Aboriginal Corporations to move beyond a reliance on royalties, and operate commercial businesses that deliver long-term results and outcomes for their community.
- Building culturally suitable employment approaches and multiple pathways into work.
- Working with mining companies, all levels of government, traditional owners and communities to improve infrastructure in communities.
- Identifying the key non-mining industries most likely to provide the best chance of economic diversification and the key enablers and barriers for that to happen.
Business Foundations takes a holistic approach. For local economies to thrive there must be equitable access to housing, diverse employment, business opportunity and family support. We provide consulting services that also address land and planning issues, infrastructure, and access to finance to put communities on a pathway to success.
Our Partners
How We Have Helped
Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation
Business Foundations started working with Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation in 2018 to explore how they could benefit more from the airport they owned on the Peninsula. This project ended in DAC owning and operating its own airport, predominantly providing hot refuelling services to helicopters transferring passengers out to the Browse Basin.
Business Foundations is now the Project Manager of Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation’s Choosing Your Way program, as part of the Federal Government’s Foundation Skills For Remote Communities Pilot. This is a literacy, numeracy and digital skills program for adults, in which members of the community get one-to-one training to achieve their personal goal. So far, the participants have achieved excellent results, from obtaining aviation qualifications, to gaining a driving learner’s permit, and learning to read from scratch.
Rio Tinto Aluminium
Business Foundations is providing economic transition and procurement support to Rio Tinto Aluminium in Weipa, Far North Queensland. Rio Tinto Weipa wants to develop a pathway for it to procure more goods and services from a larger number of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses. Additionally, they are also considering their broader approach to support place-based regional economic development during a time of significant operational change as they shift their mining activities from assets near Weipa to a mine site 60km away. Business Foundations provides consultancy support to Rio Tinto in designing their local procurement policy and Regional Economic Development Strategy.
Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation
Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation (RRKAC) is the registered native title body corporate for RRK native title determined areas in the Pilbara and more than 400 RRK people. As a multi-faceted not-for-profit organisation, RRKAC delivers community projects, programs and services to establish a solid foundation towards independence, community wellbeing, cultural identity, and Healthy Country now and for future generations. Business Foundations is supporting RRKAC in its strategic goal of Sustainable Financial Independence by supporting it to identify and develop commercial businesses that will provide revenue, jobs for members, their families and local people and provide access to much-needed services.
Mingarwee Aboriginal Corporation
Mingarwee Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) owns nine properties with dwellings and a parcel of land in the township of Coolgardie and regained active management of these properties in the latter half of 2024. These properties are the cornerstone of MAC’s ability to generate income and employment opportunities for their community, allowing them to build capacity within their local people and organisation. Their goal is to evolve its property business into a community housing organisation to provide secure, low-cost community and social housing to members for the long term. They also want to ensure their business structures and processes help them to build a financially sustainable and resilient enterprise over time. Business Foundations is supporting MAC through the process of regaining their active management of the properties and resolving outstanding matters. This process is in tandem with helping MAC get the business structures in order, and undertaking business planning for the future.
Judumul Aboriginal Corporation
Judumul Aboriginal Corporation engaged Business Foundations for support in developing a labour-hire business to support local members, many of whom have been excluded from employment in the long term, to find and transition into work. We have supported the labour-hire business to find work for their members that fits around cultural commitments, whilst also giving a greater number of people employment opportunities. Business Foundations has also supported them in writing grant applications to fund key resources that support economic development in the community.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am part of a local government economic development team, can you help with my project?
Business Foundations has been working with local government authorities across Western Australia for over 25 years to help them develop sustainable and diversified local economies. Whether it is helping local businesses to get started, developing industry cluster specialities or considering how to encourage people to visit and stay in their communities, we can help.
Can you support the development of rural and remote community organisations?
Business Foundations can help community organisations in rural and remote communities, as well as regional towns and the metropolitan areas, to develop management and governance skills, understand the market environment and business development opportunities for their organisations to generate economic growth and create partnerships with other organisations to address broader support issues that may be creating barriers to entry.
Can you help with feasibility studies for community-led economic projects?
Business Foundations can conduct feasibility studies along with economic and social impact assessments to help organisations decide whether a project will provide sustainable benefits for their community.
News & Updates
Acknowledgement Of Country
Business Foundations acknowledges the traditional custodians throughout Australia and their continuing connection to the land, waters and community. We pay our respects to members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their enduring cultures; and to Elders both past and present.
Victoria
Melbourne Innovation Centre
Level 3, 24 Cubitt Street
Cremorne VIC 3121
admin@businessfoundations.com.au
Western Australia
Walyalup Civic Centre
Level 3, 151 High Street
Fremantle WA 6160
admin@businessfoundations.com.au
Queensland
Workspace365
Level 4, 260 Queen Street,
Brisbane QLD 4000
admin@businessfoundations.com.au
Get In Touch
If you have a question or would like to find out about how we can help you, please get in touch.
