Royalty Development
The Royalty Development Unit (RDU) is responsible for the planning and delivery of projects, business development and community engagement driven by ALC’s strategic priorities and associated objectives in line with the Corporate Plan. The Unit was established by the ALC Board in 2016 to maximise the benefits derived from the remaining royalties and develop economic sustainability for the post mining era. The Unit is funded by 64-3 royalty funds and performs its duties by assisting Aboriginal Corporations (ORICs) to establish sustainable local businesses delivering services and goods to the Anindilyakwa people.
The RDU consists of ten staff, of which four are traditional owners.
The RDU provides Aboriginal Corporations on Groote Eylandt with support to establish and or continue to operate Business Enterprises to enable positive outcomes for their business.
Economic Development and Leadership
Since 2012 until the present, the ALC Board has worked to a Strategic Plan that underpins a sustainable Future Groote economy. This is a combination of economic, social and cultural initiatives that work together as a holistic plan.
The essential goal of the Royalty Development Unit is to establish a foundation for a sustainable seafood export industry to underpin the economy post mining.
Central to this goal is ensuring the existing Anindilyakwa Mining Trust (AMT) is boosted by profits from the new Winchelsea mining operation to reach a point at which current 64-3 funded programs that uphold social and cultural programs can continue in perpetuity.
Major Projects
Winchelsea Mining, Aquaculture, the Little Paradise Logistics Base, the proposed Primary Boarding College, and the Telstra Backhaul are all innovative projects supported by the Royalty Development Unit.
Distribution of Royalty Money
The RDU facilitates the distribution of Royalty money, often referred to as 64-3. Funding application requests from Aboriginal Corporations (ORICs) that are connected to the Groote archipelago, are presented to the ALC Board for consideration. RDU also assists Aboriginal corporations to apply for funding from other sources.
ORIC Support
There are 23 Aboriginal Corporations (ORICs) operating on the Groote archipelago and the RDU is actively supporting 12 of them. ORIC stands for Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. The ALC’s Royalty Development Unit engages with ORICs and has the ability to tailor the services offered to what a local entity.
Community Goods
The Community Goods program was established by the ALC to address a deficit in essential household furniture and goods on Groote Eylandt. The ALC Board conducted a survey of traditional owner households to determine what everyday goods they wanted, and over 94 containers of goods were distributed for free to communities. These items included household appliance, toys, bicycles, and other household goods.
Royalty Shoppa
‘Royalty Shoppa Cards’ are loaded twice a year and available to use to purchase items from the Royalty Shoppa Warehouse and at approved retailers. Funds are most commonly spent at community stores on food supplies.
For more information on the Royalty Shoppa Card and where it can be used, click on the link below.