Mining and Mine Services
Australian Diatomaceous Earth Joint Venture
The Australian Diatomaceous Earth Joint Venture is a partnership between IBA, which has a 20 per cent stake and an option for another 20 per cent, and Australian Diatomaceous Earth Pty Limited.
This joint venture aims to mine deposits of diatomaceous earth at Greenvale, in Far North Queensland, which has numerous applications in the agricultural and soft drink industries.
Currently, the local industries utilise USA imported products.
In 2003-04 the joint-venture concluded negotiations for an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with the Gugu Badhun group, which also has a Native Title claim over the tenements. Under the agreement, members of the Indigenous group will be offered employment opportunities as well as ancillary business opportunities such as providing environmental services - seed and nut collection, plant propagation, rehabilitation work. The Native Title group also have an option to buy equity from IBA.
Ngarda Civil and Mining
Ngarda Civil and Mining Pty Limited (Ngarda) is a contract-mining business based at Port Hedland, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The region, 1100km north of Perth, is sparsely populated (just 42,000 live there, 12% of whom are Indigenous) and is overwhelmingly dominated by the iron-ore, gas and oil industries.
Ngarda is owned by Leighton Contractors Pty Limited (50%), IBA (25%) and the Ngarda Ngarli Yarndu Foundation (25%).
Ngarda targets an Indigenous employment ratio greater than 50%. This is a big challenge for any business in the remote Pilbara region, where many Indigenous people face significant barriers to education, and where English is often a second language.
Another powerful demonstration of the venture's success is the up-skilling of Indigenous employees, with many going on to further their new careers with other mining companies such are BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. Whilst this can be problematic for Ngarda, which has to replace this turnover from a pool of generally untrained and inexperienced operators, it is a dilemma the company is happy to have. Ngarda is dealing with this problem by focusing on being the employer of choice to the Indigenous population. While Indigenous employees may be able to move onto other employers, after acquiring valuable skills with Ngarda, the majority choose to remain in an organisation that understands Indigenous cultural issues.
Ngarda took out the prestigious Prime Minister's Award for Community Business Partnerships in the large business category in 2004.
Carpentaria Shipping Services
Carpentaria Shipping Services is a joint venture between Mawa Riinbi (32%), which represents the four language groups in the Borroloola region, IBA (18%) and P&O Maritime Services (50%). The business ships zinc/lead concentrate from the McArthur River Mine - barging it from the Port of Bing Bong, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, to ships anchored 30km offshore. Since commencing operations, Mawa Riinbi has utilised profit distributions to purchase some of IBA's equity; Mawa Riinbi started with 25% and has steadily increased this stake to its current position.
For the Indigenous population of Borroloola in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory, Carpentaria Shipping Services has opened up business opportunities impossible to contemplate only a few years ago.
Carpentaria Shipping Services has been a profitable investment with a strong cash flow and this has provided an opportunity for Mawa Riinbi to address a series of socio-economic needs in what is a very traditional Indigenous community with few skills and economic opportunities. At the same time, Mawa Riinbi has retained the capacity to grow in the future. It has also reinvested some of the funds by acquiring additional equity in the project and by purchasing heavy equipment to lease to the mine's operators. Mawa Riinbi is now looking at other ways to help secure its long-term future by investing its distributions from Carpentaria Shipping Services.
Carpentaria Shipping Services actively encourages the local Indigenous community to apply for positions and opportunities are made available for all staff to undertake further training towards skilled positions.
