Abstract: The South Australian mining industry is in the process of developing relationships with Aboriginal people along many different paths — economic, cultural, land, social, family, health, livelihoods and governance. For a few larger mining companies, supporting Aboriginal people to develop micro and small business enterprises is a foundational element of these relationships. From an industry point of view, Aboriginal enterprises can provide the basis for developing a selfsupporting local economy, it can provide a degree of security for the company by assisting in validating a social licence to mine (therefore supporting the triple bottom line), it can provide life-long skills for Aboriginal people after the mine ends, and can provide an opportunity for mining companies to access a local pool of resources (including employment). From an Aboriginal point of view, enterprises can offer the chance to become self-sufficient, a chance to provide a future for children and grandchildren, and one avenue to strengthen culture. In order to manage risk to their commercial operations, the mining industry wants to understand Aboriginal enterprises better.
Notes: Peer reviewed