“Jobs for Mob” is the goal of this year’s Gather and Grow information sessions with Shellharbour chosen as one of seven locations statewide as part of a NSW Government push to bring more Aboriginal businesses and industry together.

More than 70 Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesspeople met at Shellharbour Civic Centre on Tuesday to connect and learn about supply chain and employment opportunities for major regional projects.

The new hospital at Shellharbour was showcased as the kind of major project which can be used to increase economic benefits and employment opportunities for Indigenous-owned businesses in the Illawarra and South Coast.

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Director of Regional Aboriginal Partnerships and Outcomes, Craig Jenkins said the Gather and Grow sessions had been held in Goulburn and Dubbo with Shellharbour the third regional centre to host an event.

“The theme is ‘jobs for mob’ so the goal of the Gather and Grow events is information and bringing Aboriginal businesses and industry together to connect and learn about supply chain opportunities on major NSW government projects,” he explained.

“So in Shellharbour the focus was on the Shellharbour Hospital redevelopment. We had 70 people attend and there were 15 Aboriginal businesses. We had a presentation from health infrastructure and the developers.”

Representatives from BESIX Watpac, the builder of the hospital, held breakout sessions with the Aboriginal businesses able to speak directly to Watpac, government and local council officials about procurement opportunities that they could tender for.

“The goal for these events is to bring our Aboriginal businesses in contact with our government infrastructure providers and the developers, to understand what the needs are to become involved in the supply chain and look at opportunities for employing local Aboriginal people in those projects.

“There are Aboriginal businesses out there that are capable and have capacity to work on their projects.

It’s too early to determine whether any concrete deals will come out of this week’s session but Jenkins said the feedback from the Gather and Grow sessions have been positive.

“Let's hope we see some some procurement outcomes from them,” Jenkins added.

“It's an opportunity to improve economic outcomes for our Aboriginal community and provide better opportunities for our businesses but also that extends to better employment outcomes as well.”

There are further events to be held in the Sydney CBD on 10 June, Cessnock on 15 July, Bathurst on 22 July and Western Sydney on 7 August as part of the collaboration with NSW Treasury.

The new hospital in Shellharbour is part of the more than $780 million New Shellharbour Hospital and Integrated Services Project, jointly funded by the NSW and Australian governments. Due for completion in 2027, it will transform healthcare for the Illawarra and support hundreds of jobs during construction.