Earlier this month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, alongside the Coalition of Peaks and the First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance, announced a new agreement to establish a First Nations Economic Partnership.

The Coalition of Peaks said the partnership aims to "advance economic empowerment and lasting economic security for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities, and organisations", and was a "clear example" of holding the government "to account for its commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap… to share power, centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, and fundamentally change the way governments work with our communities".

Lead Convenor Pat Turner AM said the Partnership is an opportunity to shift the balance from government to communities driving economic development.

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been clear for decades that our community-controlled organisations are the best employers of our people, providing the foundation for our economic development," Ms Turner said.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, said "economic empowerment is about self-determination and creating opportunities".

"Prescribed Bodies Corporate are critical partners for Traditional Owners, the first point of contact in commercial negotiations and strong vehicles for First Nations economic empowerment," she said in regards to new federal funding announced for the bodies.

The federal government also announced $31 million for 12 Mobile TAFE services in partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector, states and territories to deliver training on Country, with a focus on skills for jobs in construction, maintenance, health care, hospitality, resources and renewable energy.

Mr Albanese said "making sure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians can get a secure job, make the most of business opportunities and benefit from their land is a big part of Closing the Gap".

While welcoming the Agreement, the Coalition of Peaks noted that they "know from experience that everything depends on it being implemented properly".

"The National Agreement (on Closing the Gap) has not had the impact that it should have because many jurisdictions are not implementing it properly and not fulfilling their commitments. The Peaks will do their utmost to make sure that all the partners to this Agreement are held accountable," they said.

"An exercise in optics"

Independent Victorian senator Lidia Thorpe slammed what she called the PM's "annual excursion to Garma" as having become "an exercise in optics".

The Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung senator said "cash for the corporations and a few utes are crumbs on the table while so many of our people are dying in custody, and governments continue to steal and jail our children at record rates".

"We've seen no mention of these pillars of the Uluru Statement that Labor committed to," she said.

Indigenous businessman Wayne Bergmann warned the government's vow to pursue economic empowerment is "nothing new" and could prove to be an "empty promise".

Mr Bergmann, co-owner and Executive Chair of the National Indigenous Times, noted that "successive governments – Labor and Liberal – have promised this, but failed to institutionally implement change to make a difference".

"The government's commitment… could be implemented through the Native Title Act by enshrining in law minimum standards for agreement making; providing guidelines for compensation, training, employment and meaningful participation," he said.

Mr Bergmann said that as Chairman of the COAG working group on Aboriginal Economic Development and Land Tenure reform in 2014, it was clear to him there was no consistent model for agreement-making in Native Title or land rights.

"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."

Mr Bergmann, a former CEO of the Kimberley Land Council, said public funds were being handed over to developers, including for projects that primarily benefit foreign-owned entities, with only a request they make "best endeavours" to engage with Traditional Owners.

"It is 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.

Mr Bergmann said he'd "seen this all before".

"Traditional Owners were engaged at the end of the business development proposal when Wesfarmers was looking at a large scale irrigation project in the East Kimberley. The failure to have the meaningful conversations at the front end of the due diligence meant the project was delayed for years and wound up in the High Court… resulting in key parcels of land that were central to the development ending up with exclusive possession NT," he said.

"These promises feel like a repeat of the past.

"First Nations people whose lands have been used to extract minerals that have built the national and global economy are not at the table with the Prime Minister and Treasurer."

Mr Bergmann noted procurement targets and other minimum standards for Indigenous engagement are missing from "large parts" of the federal government's contracts and programs.

Gaps in the system

In June it was revealed an Audit Office investigation of federal contracts since 2016 found Indigenous employment rules were dropped in two thirds of cases, translating to $70 billion worth of contracts not being required to meet the minimum requirements.

Federal Opposition spokesperson for Indigenous Australians Senator Kerrynne Liddle called for a full review of the policy, including how Indigenous businesses are defined for procurement purposes.

Economic roundtables

This month federal authorities held a number of meetings to discuss economic policy, including in Naarm/Melbourne, Boorloo/Perth and Darwin on Larrakia Country, with, in the government's words, "Traditional Owners, leaders from the Aboriginal Community-Controlled sector, business figures, academics, and entrepreneurs".

The federal government said the aim of the First Nations roundtables was to have Indigenous perspectives inform the broader, national Economic Reform Roundtable in Canberra on August 19-21.

However, in his statement after the final roundtable concluded, Treasurer Jim Chalmers made no mention of Indigenous business, land rights, or economic empowerment, sparking concerns over how meaningful the engagement was at the highest level.

"The meeting with the PM and Treasurer is where the real discussion happens," Mr Bergmann said.

"A large part of Australia's economic wealth is derived by industries operating on Indigenous land - land on which there is Native Title, land rights, an Aboriginal interest. To increase productivity and do development… it requires Traditional Owners' land.

"You can't create productivity in some of the major growth sectors without the conversation about Indigenous interests."

A mammoth challenge

Mr Bergmann said more than 200 years of excluding Indigenous people from the broader economy had created a "mammoth challenge".

"The Prime Minister's words at Garma were welcome, but in the next step the government has failed to engage Aboriginal people and businesses as part of the real conversation about the economy; compounding the legacy of more than 200 years of exclusion," he said.

National Indigenous Times contacted the office of Treasurer Jim Chalmers for comment.