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Community engagement in Aboriginal enterprise development – Kakadu plum as a case analysis

Gorman, Julian / Ennis, Gretchen

Abstract Customary and commercial use of wildlife supports millions of Indigenous people world-wide. However, in Australia, despite there being abundant natural resources and intricate Aboriginal ecological knowledge, there are relatively few financially viable Aboriginal wildlife-based enterprises. This research provides an example of how the Collective Impact (CI) Framework was used to retrospectively analyse the development of an Aboriginal enterprise in the Northern Territory of Australia over a fifteen-year period. We identified many parallels between the elements of the CI approach and the various development phases of this Aboriginal enterprise. This research demonstrates that there is a complex interplay of factors that influence the development of Indigenous enterprise in remote communities of northern Australia, and that the CI Framework can be useful for reflecting on this work because of its focus on collaboration with diverse stakeholders. It contributes to knowledge about the benefits and the difficulties of meaningful whole of community engagement as a core aspect of enterprise development.

Highlights • Government funded Indigenous enterprises often lack sustainable financial viability. • Need for a deeper understanding of Aboriginal aspirations in community enterprise. • Aboriginal enterprise needs time, skilled leadership and flexible engagement models. • Need for more investment in Aboriginal business training and governance programs. • Collect Impact Approach is a useful model for engagement in community enterprise.