Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation

Building a positive workforce through Indigenous enterprise

Published on Jul. 19, 2024
9 mins

The Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation (AAC) was formed in 2000 to promote the interests of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Shire of Ashburton. From humble beginnings, AAC has grown to be a responsive and forward-thinking organisation delivering a wide range of services to job seekers, Indigenous communities and the broader Pilbara region.

With its head office at Tom Price, and offices in Newman, Hedland, Onslow, Marble Bar and Perth, AAC owns and operates a number of enterprises, including Ashoil, Ashmulla Pastoral Company, Onslow Tyres and Mechanical Services and Ashburton Distribution and Logistics. One of AAC’s focuses is on finding and creating culturally appropriate employment, education and training opportunities for Aboriginal people in the Pilbara.

Sodexo became involved with AAC in 2016 and has supported the organisation in the growth of its fresh oil sales and maintenance of its biodiesel production through the provision of raw materials. Since then, Sodexo has spent more than $2.5M purchasing cooking oil from Ash Oil.

Ashoil collects used cooking oil from Sodexo's camps across the Pilbara region. This waste is then converted into biodiesel. Biodiesel produced by Ashoil is sold under contract to Rio Tinto Iron Ore for use in their drill and blast operations, supporting a reduction of thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Through the various enterprises that have been established by AAC, like Yurrama Water, we’ve seen many Indigenous people begin to find their place in corporate Australia. Sodexo provided the business partnership needed for Yurrama Water to become commercially viable.

Gayden CareyNYFL Director and Ngarluma woman

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Our partnership with Sodexo has had untold benefits due to their commitment to supporting Indigenous culture. It’s hard to believe that one conversation with the Sodexo team in 2019 could have resulted in such outcomes.

Steven Sonneman-SmithChief Executive Officer, Ashburton Aboriginal Corporation

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Empowered for growth with sodexo

Sodexo’s support of AAC across its businesses has produced both economic and environmental outcomes. Sodexo’s first involvement with AAC was purchasing cooking oil. Since then, Sodexo has supported AAC’s growth by connecting the organisation with its own clients in Western Australia.

Having this long history with AAC, and knowing its commitment to innovation, Sodexo had no hesitation engaging AAC when sourcing a new range of bottled water in early 2020.

The company’s pre-launch of five pallets of Yurrama Water was the boost AAC needed, with the water now supplied at Sodexo’s mine sites across Western Australia.

Community connections

AAC is committed to supporting Indigenous youth to develop skills which enable them to contribute positively in the workplace, with each of its enterprises funding the employment programs.

One key area of focus is supporting young people to learn skills in agriculture within the Pilbara region. The aim is for these opportunities to come ‘full circle’, meaning these men and women will contribute back in the long-term through selling product from farms back into communities or corporates. For example, last year, AAC funded the wages of a trainee on a cattle station.

Sodexo is proud to see that sales from Yurrama Water will result in more funds invested in Indigenous employment programs, which is a vital step towards reconciliation.

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An important focus for us as a business is to build long- term business connections that produce sustainable outcomes. We know that through supporting Yurrama Water and, more broadly, creating a partnership with AAC, Sodexo is enabling an increase in Indigenous employment and spend.

Keith WestonManaging Director, Sodexo Australia

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SODEXO, WORKING TOWARDS RECONCILIATION

Sodexo, global leader in quality of life services, approached the opportunity to work with AAC as a partnership, to ensure a positive community impact. Sodexo’s support of AAC and purchase of Yurrama Water is a key action of its Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan where the company has committed to investing in Indigenous-owned businesses. Sodexo recognised that AAC was committed to helping people enjoy better quality of life, which is aligned with Sodexo’s mission which it strives for each day in the delivery of services.