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An exchange between two Aboriginal tourism operators, Iga
Warta and Titjikala, proved to be very successful. Both groups
shared information on how to operate a business from an Aboriginal
perspective and compared ways to link business and the
community.
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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of
the desert economy. These businesses sustain desert communities by
providing services and products, they support larger companies that
operate in the desert, and they are a source of the skilled
employment necessary for growth to take place. There are several
important factors affecting the success or failure of a desert
small business—factors that are different from those faced by
a business in an urban area. Many of these factors are beyond the
business’s control1: the desert’s sparse,
low-density population (only 3% of the population of Australia);
coastal-centric policymaking; the difficulties in attracting and
retaining quality staff2; distance to markets; and
extreme climate variability. However, understanding these factors
allows businesses to identify barriers to sustainability and
profitability while also creating business synergies.3
This is the work of Desert Biz™.
Outcomes
- Desert people able to see more opportunities for successful
businesses.
- Existing and new businesses are more successful and
enduring.
- Aboriginal people more economically independent through
livelihoods in and as a result of, small businesses.
- Governments and businesses creating larger regional economies
through local procurement of goods and services.
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Patricia Gunter at the Beltana Field Day with a display of
the commercial products that she has created and is
marketing—including these massage oils—as part of a
bush produce small enterprise.
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Project components
Auditing the business environment
The audit will determine opportunities and needs for SME
development and the business-readiness of potential SMEs.
Business impact
We are analysing the impact that businesses have on the
community and the local economy in order to determine the
‘multiplier effects’ of various businesses, and
identifying areas for further investment.
Action research
Carrying out action research with SMEs and communities will help
us understand the critical success factors and business models that
are more culturally appropriate to Aboriginal entrepreneurs and
suited to desert Australia.
Participants
Fay Rola-Rubzen is a project leader in the DKCRC. Fay manages a
national team of researchers working on a range of diverse projects
that aim to make desert businesses more sustainable and
profitable.
The project’s participants and partners are:
- Australian National
University
- Charles Darwin
University
- CSIRO
- Curtin
University of Technology
- Australian
Government Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital
Economy
- Australian
Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs
- Dinahline Homeland, SA
- Far West Coast Aboriginal Enterprise Network, SA
- Griffith
University
- Gunter family business, SA
- Kooniba Community, SA
- Murdoch
University
- Newmont
Mining
- Northern
Territory Government
- Scotdesco
Homeland, SA
- Southern Cross
University
- Tjupan-Ngalia Tribal Aboriginal Land Council, WA
- University of
South Australia
- Walkatjurra Cultural Centre, WA
Notes
1. These issues are addressed extensively in: Stafford Smith, M.
2008. The ‘desert syndrome’— causally-linked
factors that characterise outback Australia. The Rangeland Journal
30 (1): 3–14.
2. Haslam McKenzie, F. 2007. Attracting and retaining skilled and
professional staff in remote locations. DKCRC Research Report 21,
Desert Knowledge CRC, Alice Springs.
3. Jones, M & James, C. 2006. Review of desert enterprises
reliant on natural and cultural resources. DKCRC Research Report
25, Desert Knowledge CRC, Alice Springs.