DVD Transcript – Your IN to Greater Opportunities
This is a transcript of Indigenous Business Australia’s 13 minute Corporate DVD, ‘Your IN to Greater Opportunities’ which showcases the ways Indigenous Business Australia is delivering positive outcomes for Indigenous Australians through its business and home ownership programs, its partnerships and investment products.
Transcript begins
DVD Setting:
An Indigenous music soundtrack plays in the background throughout the DVD. In the opening moments, images appear onscreen which include business men and women shaking hands and conducting meetings, families standing outside homes and business, and clients visiting the IBA office.
Indigenous Business Australia respects Indigenous cultures and has attempted to ensure that no material that is offensive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is included in this video.
Introductory voiceover by IBA representative
Indigenous Business Australia, or IBA, is a commercially focused organisation, whose vision is for a nation in which the First Australians are economically independent and an integral part of the economy.
Our services and products, some of which have been delivering positive outcomes for over thirty years, enable Indigenous Australians to create wealth and build an asset base for themselves and for future generations.
Music: Indigenous music concludes the opening section and introduces part one of the DVD.
Part One: Asset building
Speaker: Naomi Bonson, Home Loan Client
Our involvement with IBA began when we first started thinking about buying a home, not long after we got married. But we couldn’t get the money together at the time; it was a little bit difficult for us. Having a home loan through IBA has made a big difference to us and our future. For my family it will mean that we have stability; a place to call our own, a place that my children can come back to every day and feel safe at, and can grow and build on together. We’re hoping that this will be our home for our lifetime and something we can pass down to our children, and something we can have pride in and just love.
Speaker: Peter Christopherson, Business Mentoring Client
IBA has assisted us with business management mentoring. The mentoring has been a huge help to us in that our headaches were with the management of the business, and now the headaches are just with trying to contain how much work we get. We were trading at around about $80,000. Our trade’s now up to $350,000 and we expect that there could be turnovers up to half a million dollars within the next couple of years.
Speaker: Jason Smith, Business Loan and Mentoring Client
The way that IBA helped me to set it up is they gave me a mentor or business developer, and we sat down and mapped out a business plan. In supporting us they had to financially give us some assistance, and that was the probably the biggest hurdle we had to get over.
Speaker: Delwyn Williams, Home Loan Client
I think IBA has made a difference to all the people in our family that have bought a house. My mother and father have got a home that they own outright. Also my sister. You know, that’s an asset that they have; so it’s kind of a pride, owning your own home.
Speaker: Ron Morony, Indigenous Business Australia General Manager
IBA plays a major part in the important relationship between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians. We offer people choices and some fairly intensive assistance through participation in the mainstream economy and linking with the private sector.
Speaker: Chris Smith, Indigenous Business Australia Manager Equities
IBA forms joint ventures with Indigenous partners with the view of wealth creation and partnering with non-Indigenous partners to share their expertise. The ultimate aim is for IBA to exit that investment in time by selling down to our Indigenous partner.
Speaker: Richard Appleby, Carpenteria Shipping Services – Private Sector Partner, P&O Maritime Services Pty Ltd
I think one of the benefits that IBA bring to our partnership, and the community in general, is they are looking more for a long term outcome and their vision is to make sure that Indigenous people have an opportunity to acquire and build wealth.
Speaker: Mick Courlo, Tasmanian Investment Corporation – Indigenous Group Partner, West Coast Aboriginal Corporation
The Tasmanian Investment Corporation is a group of Aboriginal organisations within the state that got together to form a commercial venture. Our philosophy on the long-term investments was always this push for our children, and our children’s children.
Speaker: Ken Chapman, Tjapukal Cultural Park – Private Sector Partner, Chapman Group
Well we all came together, all the various partners – that’s two Aboriginal tribes (local tribes), the Chapman family, IBA and Freeman Productions Group – to develop a really quite innovative tourism development. And that partnership has been successful for eleven years now.
Speaker: Emmanuel Ross, Tjapukal Cultural Park – Indigenous Group Partner, Ross Family
They’re a great business partner. They’re coming from a base of 65 people. I don’t think you could expect any more from a place. We have come a long way with the Tjapukal Dance Group itself, it’s been going for roughly 18 or 19 years.
Part two: Community Benefits
Speaker: Naomi Bonson, Home Loan Client
IBA has affected a lot of people I know in terms of their ability to purchase a home. I’ve seen a big change in our community. Owning your own home gives you a lot of respect and allows people outside to respect you as well.
Speaker: Jason Smith, Business Loan and Mentoring Client
I think by someone like myself being successful, it breaks down a lot of barriers not only in the mainstream, but it also gives our own people some sort of incentive. If I can be a role model to those kids to be successful, well then that’s what we’re after. That’s important, and it’s good for me personally to say that I own my own business. And for any Indigenous person to say it, it’s a bit of a feather in your cap.
Speaker: Ron Morony, Indigenous Business Australia General Manager
We went into a partnership agreement with a private sector company and with the local Aboriginal community there. We were able to set up in the Pilbara a company called Ngarda Civil & Mining. I understand now that in that area alone there’s some 200 families and we’ve employed 65% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. So you can imagine the economy and what that does to a family by way of income and bringing people into the mainstream economy.
Speaker: Emmanuel Ross, Tjapukal Cultural Park – Indigenous Group Partner, Ross Family
What we do for the Indigenous community…I reckon we play a big part in being proud of who we are, and who they are. It’s certainly an inspiration to getting their culture out there, making them aware that they have a culture and be proud of it; and maybe try and start up something similar to this or go into any other Indigenous business.
Speaker: Jeff Gillies, Gagadju Group – Private Sector Partner, InterContinental Hotel Group
The way we look at IBA, we’re very happy to be in partnership with them as they support Indigenous communities to establish themselves in sustainable businesses for the future.
Part three: Working with IBA
Speaker: Peter Christopherson, Business Mentoring Client
If we have issues with any part of our business we’re able to contact them either by phone or over the Net, and we always have some response back. And that’s been very reassuring for us.
Speaker: Naomi Bonson, Home Loan Client
Our experience working with the IBA representatives was fantastic. They were helpful, they were quick, they were efficient and they gave us excellent advice outside of our home loan. IBA is more personal about their service; they care more about your family, and about your lifestyle.
Speaker: Ron Morony, Indigenous Business Australia General Manager
An important part of the service we provide is the after care and the support in small business or in home ownership. It’s one thing to put people into business, but it’s another thing to continue to support them, and that’s an important part of what we do.
Being a Statutory authority allows us the ability to behave in a very commercial environment. So often, the private sector is surprised we talk the same language as them, and when we talk to the Aboriginal communities we talk mostly about the viability of what’s being talked about.
Speaker: Jeff Gillies, Gagadju Group – Private Sector Partner, InterContinental Hotel Group
Our partnership with IBA and IBA’s insights into the region and the culture helps us to be far more effective in the style and the types of rooms, and also the tours we’re able to operate.
Speaker: Richard Appleby, Carpenteria Shipping Services – Private Sector Partner, P&O Maritime Services Pty Ltd
As a partner we have very good interactions with IBA and that comes from not only the joint venture we are involved in now, but if they see other opportunities they think might have a maritime solution required, then they will converse with us quite openly. So there are certain activities happening in the Indigenous environment that we wouldn’t know about but IBA, through their involvement, can make us aware of those sort of things.
Speaker: Ken Chapman, Tjapukal Cultural Park – Private Sector Partner, Chapman Group
IBA has formed a very helpful, honest broker role bringing it all together. They clearly act in the interest of the Aboriginal partners as well as the commercial interests of the business.
Part four: Opportunities
Speaker: Jason Smith, Business Loan and Mentoring Client
I think IBA is an organisation that allows Aboriginal people to go one step further into ownership of businesses, and to have more control. IBA is a great stepping stone.
Speaker: Naomi Bonson, Home Loan Client
IBA has a significant role to play in the empowerment of Indigenous people across this country. It’s necessary for us to be able to get on equal footing with non-Indigenous Australians, to be able to raise our families in homes that we can own so that we can be more successful.
Speaker: Peter Christopherson, Business Mentoring Client
I just think the opportunities that they have given us have been fantastic. We wouldn’t be where we are today…
Speaker: Mick Courlo, Tasmanian Investment Corporation – Indigenous Group Partner, West Coast Aboriginal Corporation
Without IBA I don’t think we would’ve ever existed, simple as that. So through our experience, I would suggest that all Aboriginal organisations look very seriously at a partnership. The end result of this will be financial independence, so I suggest everybody get into it.
Speaker: Emmanuel Ross, Tjapukal Cultural Park – Indigenous Group Partner, Ross Family
I don’t think that people would really get a full understanding of Indigenous culture if this park wasn’t here, if it wasn’t thought of. I think this park today keeps our culture alive and it helps keep 50,000 years of history going and not forgotten.
Speaker: Ken Chapman, Tjapukal Cultural Park – Private Sector Partner, Chapman Group
The relationship’s been good and we would work with these same Aboriginal communities and IBA again if a future opportunity presented itself.
Speaker: Richard Appleby, Carpenteria Shipping Services – Private Sector Partner, P&O Maritime Services Pty Ltd
Our experience in partnering with IBA has been one of a very collaborative arrangement. It’s a very open style that they bring, and it’s very strategic about what the outcomes are. We have been very happy to look at things on a long term basis. It’s not about immediate profit; it’s about the best outcomes, for us as a business, but also for IBA and the goals that they have for gaining wealth for the Indigenous community.
Speaker: Ron Morony, Indigenous Business Australia General Manager
We have developed a very good relationship with private sector, government and Aboriginal groups, and as such the organisation is a very balanced and cohesive organisation. Its good business to do business with Aboriginal Australians.
Concluding voiceover by IBA representative
At IBA we are proud of the role we play in advancing Indigenous Australia; in developing a nation where Indigenous Australians have access to the same wealth creation opportunities as all; where both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians – through economic collaboration – work together for a brighter future.
Indigenous Business Australia: Your in to greater opportunities.
Transcript ends