The jobs we create both within Goulburn-Murray Water and through the contractors we hire are a major part of this, as is our involvement in the Goulburn Murray Regional Prosperity Plan.
The plan, which G-MW champions, is focused on creating a community where we can support each other to build a thriving and integrated First Nations economy in the Goulburn Murray region.
I recently attended an event where an update on the plan was provided and where local Indigenous business innovators discussed how mutual benefits can be generated by Indigenous and non-Indigenous partnerships.
This is a key component to the plan. Through First Nations’ economic inclusion, it aims to bring an additional $150 million of gross regional product to the region each year.
One of the main ways economic inclusion can be improved is through social procurement, which is procurement that seeks to generate social value beyond the goods and services being provided.
An example of social procurement is the various projects G-MW has engaged Game Traffic and Contracting (Game) on.
In addition to providing traffic management services, Game is also a social enterprise, with a focus on improving the career prospects of underprivileged young people.
The projects G-MW has used Game for over the 2023-24 financial year alone supported 83 young people to participate in programs supporting local youth in securing employment opportunities, therefore creating a broader social benefit.
In the case of the Goulburn Murray Regional Prosperity Plan, social procurement could involve procuring goods or services from Victorian Indigenous businesses.
The Victorian Government defines Indigenous businesses as those with at least 50 per cent Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ownership.
These businesses can become verified by Kinaway or Supply Nation, which are groups that support organisations such as G-MW in identifying Victorian Indigenous businesses.
We have a Social Procurement Strategy to help us explore opportunities where our procurement can create additional social benefits.
Our strategy gives social procurement a five to 10 per cent value add, meaning social enterprises still need to demonstrate value for money to be awarded contracts but that the social benefits they offer are also considered. This aligns with the Victorian Government’s Social Procurement Framework.
Our Social Procurement Strategy and the Goulburn Murray Regional Prosperity Plan therefore complement each other and give us guidance on how we can support our region’s Traditional Owners.
Another initiative we have begun recruiting for is an Independent Aboriginal Board Delegate.
This role will provide the G-MW Board with an independent perspective on a range of matters and will provide them with the skills and experience required to pursue a board position in the future.
It is exciting to see G-MW taking steps, although small, to strengthen its relationships with the region’s Traditional Owners and it is great to see the other businesses involved in the Goulburn Murray Regional Prosperity Plan doing the same.
I encourage anyone wanting to learn more about how we can create this economy to take a look at the Goulburn Murray Regional Prosperity Plan.
It is available on the Kaiela Institute website, at: https://www.kaielainstitute.org.au
Charmaine Quick is the G-MW managing director.
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