04/08/2025
Southern Cross Pacific and the Amplified Impact of Indigenous Enterprise
NAIDOC Week 2025 – Reflections on the Sleeping Giant Rises Report and Launch Event
As NAIDOC Week 2025 unfolds, Southern Cross Pacific proudly reflects on its participation in the breakfast launch hosted by Supply Nation and opened by the Hon David Harris MP. Held in Sydney, the event marked the release of a landmark report that quantifies the significant economic and social value generated by Indigenous businesses across Australia.
Southern Cross Pacific was honoured to be represented at the event by Mr Paul Newman, a proud and man and Director of the business. His presence, alongside a diverse group of business leaders, Elders, and policymakers, underscored the profound connections between commercial participation, cultural integrity, and lasting social impact.
The morning opened with a powerful Welcome to Country from Auntie Joan Bell, a respected Elder. Her words served not as ceremony, but as truth-telling.
Auntie Joan spoke with conviction about the forced removal of her people, the lasting trauma of dislocation, and the intergenerational grief that continues to affect many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Her address was a reminder that economic empowerment must sit alongside cultural respect and historical honesty if it is to be meaningful.
The centrepiece of the event was the formal launch of The report, authored by Emma Tomkinson of Community Insight Australia and commissioned by Supply Nation. The report draws on independent research and verified methodologies to demonstrate the measurable impact of Indigenous business engagement.
It found that for every $1 in revenue earned by Indigenous businesses, there is a $3.66 return in combined economic and social value.
This amplified return is not theoretical. It includes benefits such as reduced unemployment, increased tax contributions, lower reliance on welfare, improved mental health outcomes, and stronger community networks.
The report further reveals that 81 per cent of Indigenous business owners surveyed reinvest profits into their communities, with many providing financial support, employment pathways, and mentorship for others. Indigenous enterprises were also found to be nearly 100 times more likely to employ First Nations staff than non-Indigenous businesses, reinforcing their unique role in driving cultural and economic inclusion.
Southern Cross Pacific directly observes these outcomes through its operations. As a Supply Nation certified, Indigenous-owned business, Southern Cross Pacific provides integrated services across physical security, electronic systems, facilities maintenance, cleaning, traffic control, and civil logistics. These services are delivered across urban, regional, and remote areas, with a focus on reliability, compliance, and value creation.
While Southern Cross Pacific actively promotes opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, it also recognises the real-world challenges of workforce engagement. Barriers remain across education, housing, access to training, and long-term employment support. Southern Cross Pacific continues to refine its recruitment, onboarding, and mentoring programs to provide stronger foundations for long-term careers, particularly for those seeking to work on Country or return to regional communities.
The report advocates for increased adoption of Indigenous suppliers across all sectors, particularly in infrastructure, defence, health, property, and education. It also highlights the need for buyers to move beyond symbolic gestures and toward meaningful engagement, built on trust, shared accountability, and clear commercial outcomes. For businesses already working with Indigenous enterprises, the report encourages measurement of outcomes and the sharing of impact data to drive system-wide change.
Southern Cross Pacific supports these calls and encourages all clients and partners to consider the broader value of their procurement decisions. Working with Indigenous businesses is not a branding exercise. It is a practical, measurable, and responsible way to contribute to long-term economic transformation.
As the report makes clear, the Indigenous business sector is not emerging. It is active, effective, and growing. However, continued investment, cultural awareness, and systems-level change are required to unlock its full potential.
NAIDOC Week offers a vital opportunity for reflection and recommitment. For Southern Cross Pacific, it reinforces the importance of showing up not just during campaign weeks or when targets demand it, but consistently, professionally, and with a clear understanding of the long-term impact that well-structured Indigenous procurement can deliver.
Southern Cross Pacific acknowledges and thanks Supply Nation, Emma Tomkinson, and all contributors to the report. Southern Cross Pacific also extends its deep respect to Auntie Joan Bell for her powerful Welcome to Country and to all Elders, past and present, whose stories, leadership, and strength guide this ongoing work.
As the report states, "when Indigenous businesses rise, they also lift others with them". Southern Cross Pacific is proud to be part of that rising movement.
📖 Download the full report here:
🔗https://supplynation.org.au/uploads/Supply-Nation-2025-The-Sleeping-Giant-Rises-report.pdf
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