Indigenous leader and prominent businessman Wayne Bergmann has warned that the federal government's most recent vow to pursue Indigenous economic empowerment is "nothing new" and could prove to be an "empty promise".
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a series of announcements at the Garma Festival across the weekend, including the establishment of a First Nations Economic Partnership.
Mr Bergmann, who is a co-owner and the Executive Chair of the National Indigenous Times, said the federal government "is in danger of making the promise of economic development an empty promise".
"There is nothing new in this political position; successive governments – Labor and Liberal – have promised this, but failed to institutionally implement change to make a difference," he said.
"The federal government's commitment, for example, to improvements in economic conditions could be implemented through the Native Title Act by enshrining in legislation minimum standards for agreement making; providing clear guidelines for compensation, training, employment and meaningful participation."
Mr Bergmann said that as Chairman of the COAG working group on Aboriginal Economic Development and Land Tenure reform, it was clear to him there was no consistent model for agreement-making in Native Title or land rights around Australia.
"The results were at best ad hoc and at worst beads and blankets," he said.
"In northern Australia the federal government has provided taxpayer funding to proponents, who have no legal obligation to deliver on Indigenous social and economic outcomes. They are in fact funding these development projects at the cost of improving the social and economic wellbeing of Indigenous stakeholders."
Mr Bergmann, a former CEO of the Kimberley Land Council, said public funds were being handed over to developers with only a request they make "best endeavours" to engage with Indigenous communities and Native Title holders.
"It is unacceptable and smoke and mirrors to say companies have an Indigenous engagement strategy when there are no consequences for not achieving fairer and more equitable outcomes," he said.
"Tax-payer's money is provided for best endeavours at the companies' discretion. The departments overseeing the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund are toothless tigers. They won't do anything, because they don't have to."
Mr Bergmann said procurement targets and other minimum standards for Indigenous engagement are missing from "large parts" of the federal government's contracts and programs.
"At a national level, despite numerous requests, large parts of government spends have carved out the Indigenous minimum spend requirements, including in media," he said.
"Giving more economic power to IBA (Indigenous Business Australia) and ILSC (Indigenous Land and Sea Council) is not necessarily empowering Aboriginal people, it is the federal government giving from the right hand to the left hand, it is giving government departments or agencies more power.
"It's time that governments stopped making meaningless statements about Indigenous economic empowerment when they have rigged the game so that Indigenous peoples are small time winners and big time losers. Enough is enough."