KRED drives Aboriginal Pastoral Co-op

John Watson recalls his mum starting work on Mt Anderson station at three in the morning. She would set the bread and put it away in the oven, was skilled at fixing fences and mustering sheep. The women mustered the sheep on foot, with dogs, as the station only had a couple of horses.

They worked if they were sick, worked if they were starving, worked without days off. From Bohemia Downs to Billiluna, Mt Anderson to Mt Pierre, Aboriginal people, our old people, were the backbone of the pastoral industry in the Kimberley.

Since John’s mum was a young woman, a lot has changed, with many of the pastoral leases in the Kimberley now owned by Aboriginal people. However, in recent years, it’s also become apparent that some stations are underperforming.

With the June 2015 deadline looming in relation to Aboriginal pastoral leases, KRED has been approached by a number of pastoral workers and stations concerned about their ability to reinvigorate their pastoral leases. In response, KRED has developed a vision to revive the pastoral industry in the North West.

KRED proposes a group of pastoral stations stand together as a pastoral consortium. By joining forces in a commercial consortium, by sticking together and looking out for each other like our old people did in the station days, we will provide genuine employment and training opportunities for local communities and Aboriginal people. We will develop a year-round supply chain and implement world class breeding, herd management and feed crop technology.

We envisage a future where our people are the backbone of the Kimberley pastoral industry once again–where local communities and Aboriginal people can access employment and training opportunities ranging from stationhands and cooks, to subcontractors and managers. We envisage a future where our stations supply the highest quality beef to domestic and international markets and where we implement innovative and environmentally sustainable land management practices to maximise productivity and to protect the health of country.

‘China backing pastoral vision’

The following article was written by Paige Taylor and was reported in The Australian newspaper today on the 26/05/2014. 
See: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/china-backing-pastoral-vision/story-e6frg8zx-1226931107552

Bohemia Downs station manager Alan Lawford. Picture Colin Murty. Source: NewsCorp Australia. 

TEN of Australia’s biggest Aboriginal-run pastoral stations are preparing for a Chinese-backed merger that aims to reverse their economic fortunes using world-class breeding, management and feed-crop technology.

The Aboriginal Pastoral Co-op will begin as a commercial consortium of five cattle stations in the Kimberley that have struggled in isolation to achieve good prices.

Though debt-free, the stations in the first phase of the proposed co-op have never turned big ­profits and are too small on their own to leverage good economies of scale or manage supply chain costs.

Elders in the region are disappointed the stations many of them grew up on do not have the ability to employ larger numbers of young Aboriginal people.

The consortium could have up to $40 million of Chinese investment through investment house ASF Group. The firm’s director, Geoff Baker, said the ASF Group had access to finance in mainland China, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia that could help the co-op get the most from its cattle stations.

“The Chinese believe Australia is awash with resources, agricultural products and cattle — it doesn’t take much convincing of those opportunities,” he said.

He said the ASF Group had a healthy relationship with traditional owners, many of whom have Native Title over land in the region as well as strong connections to pastoral stations.

“We want to have a good relationship with traditional owners,” Mr Baker said.

ASF Group saw “enormous potential” in the co-op concept, not least because the Kimberley was a lot closer to Asia than states such as Victoria and NSW.

ASF Group, which is already active in the Kimberley with exploration projects, is in talks with the Aboriginal Charitable Trust putting the consortium together, KRED Enterprises.

Under the long-term plan, ASF Group’s investment could help create infrastructure and irrigation systems to support 16,000 head of cattle in a Kimberley corridor. Ultimately mustering costs would be reduced by 25 per cent, according to a co-op concept plan.

The consortium would market its own brand of organic Kimberley rangeland beef for export to China. The concept for the consortium has the support of Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce.

The Abbott government has honoured a commitment by the Rudd government to contribute $400,000 towards the setting up of the consortium in the form of a grant to KRED.

Bohemia Station manager Alan “Doodie” Lawford said he wanted to help reinvigorate the industry because that would mean more jobs on the land for young Aborigines.

“Our young people want to be out here,” he said.

Indigenous Business Australia is preparing the business and marketing plans for the co-op.

So far, 10 cattle stations have asked to join. If the consortium ­begins well, more members would be welcome, including cattle ­stations in other regions and states, and those owned by non-Aboriginal interests.

KRED chief executive Wayne Bergmann said Aboriginal-run pastoral stations had suffered the same setbacks over the years as the ones felt industry-wide, ­including the crippling effects of Labor’s live export suspension.

Costs have spiralled, but the price per head has been virtually unchanged for 18 years.

Mr Bergmann said he believed there were extraordinary opportunities for a co-op with strong management. The consortium was dreaming big.

“I see it like the early days of Wesfarmers, where farmers got together collectively and had a management team to deal with challenges nationally,” he said.

The above article was written by Paige Taylor and was reported in The Australian newspaper today on the 26/05/2014. 
See: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/china-backing-pastoral-vision/story-e6frg8zx-1226931107552

Give it all you got!

From the moment they hit the stage, guitars straps slung over shoulders, twelve year-old Adi and fifteen year-old Jada communicate without words. It’s incredible to watch—this subtle movement of hands and eyes, a chord here, a note there.

“We give each other secret signals, play a little bit and then we know where to start,” Jada says.

The Broome-based sisters have their own band ‘Jadadi’ and with the support of an Ambooriny Burru Nipper Tabagee Scholarship they were able to travel to the Tamworth Country Music Festival earlier this year.

In Tamworth they played back-to-back gigs, brushing shoulders and even breakfasting with country music heavyweights like Troy Cassar-Daley and Casey Chambers.

Pumped up on energy drinks, they played on stages and busked on the street. “When we were busking, a lot of people gathered around and afterwards, the crowd took photos with us and we got to sign autographs,” Jada says.

The stack of cds they took to the festival sold out within days.

“We were supposed to save some for our family back here, but people kept buying them!” Jada says.

It’s easy to understand why. The girls complement each other, blending seamless harmonies as they sing about fishing, about love, about home.

“Sometimes we do get nervous before we start playing,” Adi admits, “but we’re grateful to have had the opportunity to go to Tamworth and build our confidence.”

Jada agrees, saying the Nipper Tabagee Scholarship really gave the girls the lift they needed.

“It made it possible for us to play at the festival and to give us exposure at this national level.”

The Nipper Tabagee Scholarship is designed to help end the disparity in employment outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

By encouraging our young people to pursue and achieve their goals in the short-term, we’re also securing their long-term economic and social engagement.

We believe supporting the aspirations of our people will prove to be one of our greatest investments.

When asked what advice they’d give other aspiring musicians Jadadi says, “Give it all you got! Make yourself heard. Because there’s people out there that can help you.”

For more information on the Nipper Tabagee Scholarship contact KRED Enterprises on 91 92 8782.

ICRG delivering real employment outcomes for our mob

KRED Enterprises is proud of its joint venture with the Indigenous Construction Resource Group (ICRG). ICRG have delivered 100% Aboriginal employment on construction at Valhalla and an average of 75% Aboriginal employment on all other contracting jobs with Buru Energy. Employees, many from Noonkanbah and Derby, have been involved as civil works operators, in site preparation and have worked on bunding around dams. ICRG have been a fantastic mob to work with and we look forward to an ongoing positive relationship in the future.

KRED lobbying for global benchmarks at United Nations

KRED Enterprises CEO Wayne Bergmann and CEO of the Kimberley Land Council Nolan Hunter are set to jet to New York to speak at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

In a joint presentation, they’ll lobby for a set of global best practice principals and benchmarks for Indigenous economic development.

Mr Bergmann told ABC Kimberley (29/04/14) that companies can broker different – and potentially less beneficial – commercial deals and agreements with Indigenous people, depending on which country they’re operating in.

“I’m hoping to reinforce an international alliance on benchmarking where we can really talk best practice … In situations where we can’t stop development, we need to make sure it’s done on the best possible terms.”

Through all commercial negotiations, KRED Enterprises references a triple bottom line of people and culture, country and the economy.

With this as a foundation, KRED’s negotiated some of the strongest impact benefit agreements between mining companies and Indigenous people in Australia. Often these agreements go beyond the statutory agreements of governments and ensure any development is designed to meet the highest environmental and cultural standards.

Mr Bergmann says in Australia, Aboriginal people are regularly put in a difficult position.

“We have a resource rich country with an appalling history of mistreatment of Aboriginal people. This puts Aboriginal people in a difficult position. We have a responsibility to look after country, but it’s also crucial we participate in the modern economy.”

Mr Hunter elaborated, telling ABC Kimberley that engagement with companies often provides an uncomfortable tension for Indigenous people.

“The tension (is) between how you engage with economic development without compromising your cultural integrity.”

Mr Bergmann says the solution lies in creating economic opportunities that affirm Aboriginal cultural and social values.

“We want the choice to be able to practice the culture and values of our ancestors and to walk on Wall Street, as part of the mainstream economy,” Mr Bergmann says.

Mr Bergmann and Mr Hunter leave for New York on the 9th of May.

Keep your eyes on our Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram accounts for updates, as we’ll be sharing selfies, conference snaps and speech excerpts.

For more information on the trip, contact Media and Communications Officer Madelaine Dickie at KRED Enterprises (08) 91928782.