In the remote coastal town of Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory, Damien Djerrkura leads one of Australia's most dynamic Aboriginal-owned businesses, the North East Arnhem Land Aboriginal Corporation (NEALAC).

Awarded the 2025 Blak Business of the Year by the Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network (NTIBN), NEALAC is a model of Indigenous-led development. For Djerrkura, who started working with the organisation as a teenager, the role is personal. "My father was general manager here in the '90s," he said. "I used to come back on school holidays and work at YBE (a charitable fund operated by NEALAC). There's a lot of family history."

From Brickworks to Business Powerhouse

NEALAC began in 1968 as Yirrkala Brickworks, shortly after the Yolngu people's historic Bark Petitions laid the groundwork for land rights. It has grown into a regional enterprise representing 26 Traditional Owner clans and employing over 100 people.

Today, NEALAC's operations span land rehabilitation, civil maintenance, horticulture, freight, logistics and mechanical services. It generates about $10 million annually, with nearly half reinvested in local wages. "We're not just about generating revenue, it's about circulating that wealth within the community," Djerrkura said.

Naomi Anstess, CEO of NTIBN, said: "NEALAC represents exactly what Indigenous economic leadership looks like when communities are trusted to lead... through discipline, culture, and commercial strength."

Training with Culture and Care

Central to NEALAC's model is the Djama Mirri Mala employment program. "There was a gap between the Community Development Program providers and real jobs," Djerrkura explained. "So we built our own Indigenous Pathways program, one that understood cultural obligations."

The 8-week program offers readiness training, tool handling, safety inductions, and personal support. "We make it culturally safe. There's flexibility for ceremonies and family. And we maintain a labour pool so if someone's away, another Yolngu worker can step in."

Dozens have completed the program, leading to placements in mechanics, logistics and landscaping. "It's about more than jobs," Djerrkura said. "It's about dignity and self-determination."

A Broader Vision for Northeast Arnhem Land

With Rio Tinto's Gove bauxite mine winding down and ceasing mining by 2030, NEALAC is helping to build a post-mining economy. "We're looking at creating our own economy, one that uses our land and culture to drive growth," Djerrkura said.

The Yirrkala Farm Project, a joint venture with Gumatj and Rirratjingu, grows produce for local stores and trains Yolngu in agriculture. "It's about food security, fresh produce, and new skills," Djerrkura said. "Our people deserve access to fresh, affordable food. Growing it here, on our terms, makes a difference."

NEALAC has also taken on year-round civil and environmental work. "We've had contracts with the Nhulunbuy Corporation for a number of years," Djerrkura said. "General maintenance, arboreal services, landscaping, essential services that people need."

Car Hire, Repairs and Opportunity on Country

Among NEALAC's proudest ventures is its acquisition of a local vehicle hire and mechanical business, financed through CommBank. "That was an acquisition. It came with the workshop and the panel and paint smash repairs as well," Djerrkura said.

This has enabled NEALAC to consolidate essential services. "It actually was packaged up quite nicely as opposed to us just buying a car hire business," Djerrkura said. "It kept everything in-house as opposed to outsourcing the mechanics or the smash repairs."

The division includes car hire, mechanical diagnostics, smash repairs and a tyre and accessories retail outlet. It employs around a dozen staff, including several Yolngu apprentices. "We've already got two Indigenous apprentices, one's in the mechanical workshop, one's in the smash repair workshop," he said.

Mitchell Heritage, Executive Manager of Indigenous Business Banking at CommBank said: "Supporting NEALAC's acquisition was about more than finance. It's about backing a true example of self-determination where the community owns and operates essential services, builds skills, and creates jobs on country. Our ongoing commitment to supporting Indigenous business across Australia is built on principles of respect, self-determination and partnership. NEALAC brings these principles to life every day and we're delighted to support their continued growth and contribution to the broader community."

Djerrkura calls it a 'forever industry' - a local, sustainable service the community can depend on. "Everyone needs a mechanic if they've got a car," he said. "We wanted to invest in a service that our community relies on every day, and that can outlast seasonal shifts and the future mine closure."

Strengthening Community, Building Capacity

Profits are directed to programs like town and homelands bus services, entrepreneur support, and workforce infrastructure. "This organisation is helping that process towards self-determination," Djerrkura said. "Everyone can go back on country, start their own businesses, get family back on country."NEALAC's bus services have become essential to remote access. "It's not just about profit, it's about responding to what our mob needs," Djerrkura said.

Heritage added: "When Indigenous businesses like NEALAC grow, the benefits ripple out with more jobs, more skills and stronger communities. CommBank is committed to walking alongside our Indigenous business customers, providing tailored support and celebrating their success."

Looking Ahead: A Homegrown Economy

NEALAC is now expanding its freight and tyre business. "We're still in the process of developing a client base," Djerrkura said. "It's about having those connections with other Indigenous businesses and helping them build capacity."

Anstess said: "NEALAC lifts other Blak businesses with them. That's the difference between a corporation and a movement." When Yolngu businesses have access to sealed roads, digital infrastructure and fair procurement settings, they won't just participate, they'll outperform," she said. "Closing the Gap won't be achieved through social policy alone. It will be achieved through Blak industry. NEALAC proves that every day."

Walking Two Worlds, Leading One Future

As only the second Yolngu CEO of NEALAC, Djerrkura blends business leadership with cultural authority. "I know what my dad did for the organisation and where he wanted to take the business. My outlook's much the same," he said.

His vision for the future is firmly embedded in self-determination principles. "We're here to say, how can we help you build your own capability?"

In northeast Arnhem Land, NEALAC is not only building a business, it is building identity. And as Djerrkura and his team look ahead, their message is clear: the future of the region is already here - and it's being led from within.

IBA and CBA Partner to Expand First Nations Finance

The Commonwealth Bank and Indigenous Business Australia have signed a new agreement to improve access to finance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The partnership, announced in October 2025, will focus on home ownership, business lending, and investment in renewable energy projects.

According to a joint statement, the two organisations aim to develop co-lending models, mentoring programs, and targeted support for Indigenous entrepreneurs.

The collaboration brings together IBA's community lending expertise and CBA's national scale, with progress to be reviewed annually.