Business Partners

OZ MINERALS

OZ Minerals is a copper-focused international company based in South Australia. Carrapateena is a copper-gold project located approximately 160km north of Port Augusta in South Australia’s highly prospective Gawler Craton.

The project is located on Pernatty Station and its supporting infrastructure is located within Oakden Hills Station. The Kokatha people are the traditional owners of the land.

Native Title Mining Agreement (NTMA) is in place between OZ Minerals and Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation and is underpinned by a ‘Partnering Agreement’. This agreement, also known as ‘Nganampa palyanku kanyintjaku (translated to; keeping the future good for all of us) acknowledges that today, tomorrow and in the years ahead, the project will be a partnership with the Kokatha People.

This relationship has many powerful benefits for both parties. Some of the positive outcomes for Kokatha include:

A strong focus on capacity building
Assisting KAC to increase its capabilities regarding employment and training
Cultural heritage and record keeping
Return to country property acquisition
Creation of Employment pathways
Business development opportunities

KAC and OZ Minerals have co-created a sound business relationship which is evidenced in the frequent and positive interactions and outcomes. The Executive of both organisations meet 6 times per year and the Operations Management Teams meet fortnightly.

The NTMA is reviewed annually and the Partnership agreement won the 2017 Premiers Community Excellence Award in Mining and Energy for Excellence in Social Inclusion.

BHP

BHP is a world-leading resources company that extracts and processes minerals, oil and gas and sell the products worldwide.

The Kokatha people are the Traditional Owners of a large section of the land in the north of South Australia. This includes the land surrounding BHP’s Olympic Dam asset and three pastoral stations to the south of Olympic Dam: Roxby Downs, Andamooka and Purple Downs.

When Kokatha’s Native Title over the area was formally awarded in September 2014 BHP agreed to award sub-leases over the pastoral stations to the Kokatha people as part of an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA).

Kokatha are upgrading the infrastructure on the pastoral stations with financial support from BHP. Significant progress has been made to date with a major refurbishment to the Roxby Downs Homestead, installation of solar power generation, replacement of fences, cleaning of dams and repairs to other water supply infrastructure.

Planning is now underway to refurbish a number of homesteads to support Kokatha peoples return to country priority. Additionally the recent development of a Kokatha Pastoral 2020-25 Business Plan has been supported by BHP.

WOOMERA RANGE COMPLEX

The Woomera Range Complex is located in the north-west pastoral region of South Australia, with the operational area of the Range encompassed by the ‘Woomera Prohibited Area’ (WPA), which covers very sparsely populated ‘outback’ land. The range also includes the restricted airspace over the WPA.

Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation has continued to strengthen is working relationship with the Department of Defence through:

Culture and heritage Management of Woomera Prohibited Areas
Employment and Training of Kokatha People
Kokatha Martin Joint Venture implementation in the Woomera area regarding Department of Defence infrastructure works
Cultural respect training delivery to Department of Defence employees
Development of future commercial opportunities within the Kokatha Native Title Footprint

To read the Dept of Defence RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2022 – Our people, our future, our journey.

CLICK HERE

INDIGENOUS LAND AND SEA CORPORATION (ILSC)

ILSC is a corporate Commonwealth entity established under the ATSI Act and subject to the PGPA Act.

The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to realise economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits that the ownership and management of land, water and water related rights can bring. The ILSC provides this assistance through the acquisition and management of rights and interests in land, salt water and fresh water country.

Kokatha Pastoral works closely with ILSC on the land management care and Indigenous employment on the 3 Pastoral Stations near Roxby Downs- Roxby Downs Station, Andamooka Station and Purple Downs Station.

ILSC have been central to development of the Kokatha Pastoral Board Business Plan 2020-25

PRIMARY INDUSTRIES AND REGIONS SA (PIRSA)

PIRSA is a key economic development agency in the government of South Australia, with responsibility for the prosperity of the state’s primary industries and regions.

The North West Indigenous Pastoral Project (NWIPP) in South Australia’s Far North involves eight important Indigenous owned properties including those on Kokatha Land:

Andamooka, Purple Downs and Roxby Downs Stations (Kokatha Pastoral Pty Ltd)

The State Government, through Primary Industries and Regions SA, has invested almost $2.9 million to NWIPP since its inception in 2015, with a further $2.25 million committed over 2019-2021.

Kokatha Pastoral receives annual NWIIP funding for Indigenous employment in accordance with land management and pastoral requirements incorporated in PIRSA guidelines.

Additionally, the Kokatha Pastoral Board contribute feedback to PIRSA regarding Indigenous station management.

TAFE SA

TAFE SA is South Australia’s largest vocational education and training (VET) provider and one of the largest in Australia. It is also a registered higher education provider.

TAFE SA’s Aboriginal Access Centre (AAC) provides support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The AAC offers a variety of programs through many TAFE SA sites, including regional and remote locations.

The AAC assists with Indigenous enrolments into a wide range of programs in TAFE SA and Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation has a strong working relationship with Marg Mibus, Director of AAC who actively supports and assists Kokatha people with their education and training needs, skill development and customised employability strategies.

KAC and AAC work directly to strengthen the employment opportunities of Kokatha people through customised Pre Employment Program (PEP) developed in direct response to industry need, employment opportunities and skill shortages for local people within the Kokatha native title footprint.

ISS

ISS is a leading global provider of facility services, offering services on an international scale which leverages global knowledge and experience for local service delivery.

ISS Facility Services Australia were awarded their first remote resources contract in regional South Australia in September 2018. ISS provides village operations, maintenance, aerodrome and transport services at the OZ Mineral's Tjungu and Exploration Villages for the Carrapateena Copper Mining Project.

As part of the project, ISS work extensively with Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation to provide Community engagement, direct employment, business incubation and local supply partnering. Their solution provides clear pathways for Indigenous training and employment and their supply chain focuses upon community integration.

The joint development of the ISS Aboriginal Employment Engagement Plan has identified clear long-term employment opportunities for Kokatha people across the Carrapateena site within the ISS business. The development of these opportunities and the positive outcomes for Kokatha people are testimony to the productive partnership between KAC and ISS. This partnership will continue to grow and benefit Kokatha people.

PERPETUAL

Perpetual manage the Kokatha Holdings Trust Funds. These include:

Kokatha Charitable Trust,
Kokatha Compensation Trust
Kokatha General Trust

Each Trust is managed be elected Trustees from the Kokatha Membership and is supported by a Trust Advisory Committee. Trustee secretariat is Alison Mundy- KAC Corporate Services Manager.