Webinar - Pathways to Indigenous Economic Self-Determination: Hope Ownership, Business Growth ad Investment Partnership

In February 2025, amendments to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act removed longstanding limits on Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) raising capital from markets, investment communities, and the private sector. This change allows IBA to pursue an ambitious 2030 Strategy targeting high-impact areas like renewables, carbon markets, mining, infrastructure, agriculture, and government contracting. The organisation now aims to mobilise $5-7 billion over five years, shifting from government-dependent funding toward market-driven, self-sustaining economic growth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Commonwealth's Closing the Gap 2025 Annual Report, released in February 2026, documents gains in employment and economic development, including over 1,450 real jobs created through the Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) Program. The accompanying 2026 Implementation Plan commits to expanding RJED to add 3,000 more jobs, investing $75 million extra in Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs) for better governance and investor confidence, and advancing a national First Nations Economic Framework in partnership with the Coalition of Peaks and First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance. These steps reflect a deliberate push toward greater self-determination in economic decision-making. Indigenous-led businesses are expanding at record rates and disproportionately employing First Nations workers—often 12 to 40 times more likely than non-Indigenous firms. From July 2026, the Indigenous Procurement Policy tightens rules to require at least 51% First Nations ownership and control for eligibility, while raising the Commonwealth target to 3.25% for 2026-27. Partnerships like the one between IBA, CommBank, and Aboriginal Investment NT demonstrate efforts to align capital with community priorities and foster economic sovereignty. Home ownership rates for Indigenous households lag significantly behind the national average, limiting intergenerational wealth