The Queensland Resources Council has welcomed a record of more than 50 nominations for its 5th annual Indigenous Awards to be announced during Reconciliation Week next month.
Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said record nominations for the awards, to be presented over five categories, reflected the growth in Indigenous Australians working in the resources sector.
“As the Closing the Gap report found, the number of Indigenous Australians employed by the resources sector increased by 250 percent to almost 7000 in the years between 2006 and 2016,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“Over the same period, the share of indigenous Queenslanders employed in our State’s resource sector increased from 3 percent to 4 percent. This is a milestone for our sector. We have reached employment parity with population. Indigenous Queenslanders make up 4 percent of our population,” he said.
“The Queensland Resources Council Indigenous Awards are an excellent opportunity to recognise this growing contribution to the resources industry that is so important to Queensland.”
Mr Macfarlane said the Awards recognised contribution across the sector, including encouraging Indigenous business participation in procurement, which was recently highlighted by Indigenous leader Warren Mundine.
Mr Mundine said: “If you look at the other mining industry companies, you are looking at a few billion dollars just in that industry alone. The other industries are a bit behind that but they are starting to catch up.”
The QRC Indigenous Awards for six categories will be announced on May 28. The award categories are:
- Indigenous Advocacy Award recognises Indigenous or non-Indigenous individuals that have demonstrated outstanding effort to encourage, promote and advocate for increasing Indigenous participation within the resources sector
- Exceptional Indigenous Person in Queensland Resources Award recognises exceptional achievement by an Indigenous person working with the Queensland resources sector in any occupation or profession
- Exceptional Indigenous Business in Queensland Resources Award recognises exceptional achievement by an Indigenous business supplying the Queensland resources sector
- Best Company Indigenous Procurement Initiative Award recognises companies that have developed and maintained strategies that enhance supplier diversity and support increased Indigenous business participation within resources sector supply chains
- Best Company Indigenous Employment and Training Initiative Award recognises companies that have developed and maintained strategies that enhance the attraction and retention of Indigenous people in the Queensland resources sector
- Exceptional Indigenous Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy Student Award recognises exceptional achievement by an Indigenous student at a QMEA school who has shown significant promise and passion for a career in the Queensland resources sector.
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