Unlocking Potential - Fortescue Metals Group Ltd

December 2013
$580m
May 2012
35
Contracts Awarded
14
Fortescue and NEMM in
Historic Contract Signing
As part of our vision for
social and economic
community sustainability
and wellbeing for
Aboriginal people, we
are well on our way to
achieving our ‘Billion
Opportunities’ target
- to award $1 billion in
contracts for Aboriginal
contractors, including Joint
Ventures, by 2013.
Fortescue marked an historic
milestone in this journey at
Cloudbreak recently, with the joint
signing of a multimillion dollar
Contract Agreement with Nyiyaparli
Engineering and Mine Maintenance
Pty Ltd (NEMM).
NEMM is a new business established
by members of the Bung Family who
are also members of the Nyiyaparli
Native Title Group (NNTG). NNTG
signed a Land Access Agreement
(LAA) with Fortescue in 2005.
NEMM Directors, Bruce, Sue and
Cynthia Bung, visited Cloudbreak to
mark the occasion with Fortescue
Chairman Andrew Forrest and
Cloudbreak General Manager, Kevin
McLean.
Bruce, who is a traditional elder
of the Nyiyaparli country, treated
guests to a ‘welcome to country’
address at the event, during which
he spoke of his family’s commitment
to prosperity for the next generation
of Nyiyaparli people, and the wider
Aboriginal community.
“We have Fortescue to thank for this
golden opportunity. Just like the old
saying goes – ‘from little things, big
things grow’, and we’re excited about
what the future holds,” said Bruce.
“We want to wake up the local
Aboriginal community and our
message is clear – you have to get
out there and make it happen”.
Sue explained the early beginnings
of NEMM on their front porch in
Newman.
“It all started one day out there on
the porch, just sitting there thinking
about how we were sick of the
welfare system and our family not
getting anywhere,” said Sue.
“We didn’t know much about
business, but we thought, why not
– let’s have a go. We wanted to put
something back into the Aboriginal
community to lift them and show
them that it can be done”, Cynthia
added.
“This is just the beginning and there
will be obstacles along the way,
but we know that Fortescue will be
there to support us, no matter what
happens”.
Fortescue Chairman Andrew Forrest
said the agreement represented
a special milestone for Aboriginal
people everywhere.
“I’m so proud of the Bung family
for their commitment and
determination to realising their
business ambitions. This really is
just such a positive and inspiring
example of a family moving away
from the welfare cycle, and into a
sustainable, self determining way of
living,” he said.