Submission to the Parliament of NSW Standing Committee on State Development: Inquiry into economic development in Aboriginal communities

In seeking to improve Indigenous economic development outcomes it is important to recognise that high levels of Indigenous disadvantage are not related to Indigeneity but are the result of ineffective policies and lack of opportunity — specifically in relation to education, employment and private enterprise. It is also important to recognise the diversity of Aboriginal people in NSW and that not all Aboriginal people will require government support; and as a result, funding should be directed to those who need it most and not simply on the basis of Indigeneity. Government policies and programs should enable, rather than constrain, Indigenous entrepreneurship and private enterprise. In particular, government initiatives should not act in competition with private Indigenous businesses and thus hinder Indigenous economic development initiatives.