A shop with a difference is helping keep more money on Groote Eylandt.

Substantial royalty money provided to individual members of the community has typically not benefited Traditional Owners’ businesses. Instead, it went to paying inflated prices to businesses owned by non-Anindilyakwa people.

But the Royalty Shoppa is changing all that.

Traditional Owners can buy items imported onto Groote at factory prices by using their Anindilyakwa Royalty Shoppa card.

Goods can be ordered through electronic points-of-sale at the Community Support Program offices in Angurugu and Umbakumba by using the Royalty Shoppa Card or BasicsCard – and have the order delivered to their homes.

Goods include beds, linen, bathroom fittings, white goods, furniture, electrical appliances, camping equipment, fishing gear and motor vehicle tyres.

Sale items are shown on the Anindilyakwa Land Council website and in a display cabinet at the Community Support Program offices.

Five Traditional Owners are employed at the warehouse.

One of the staff, Randal Bara, says “I like working at the warehouse because I help deliver household goods to family and communities on Groote Eylandt.”

Royalty Development Unit Manager Colin Wakefield says the Royalty Shoppa is popular.

“We sell everything at cost price,” he says. “And because we buy in volume we can get a good price.”