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- View page: Industry Growth Program
Industry Growth Program
Industry Growth Program The Industry Growth Program is a national initiative designed to help innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) grow and commercialise their projects. The Cluster Connect group, of which the Noongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) is a partner, has been appointed as one of four Industry Partner Organisations (IPO) for the Industry Growth Program. The program provides tailored advice and support through experienced Industry Growth Program Advisers, who work with businesses to test models, overcome challenges and identify pathways for expansion. Advisers bring independent expertise and practical experience, offering recommendations on business model validation, market testing, funding avenues, partnerships and intellectual property. As a Cluster Connect partner organisation, NLE is building stronger foundations to expand its enterprises, explore potential investors and capital-raising opportunities, and develop compelling value propositions for its products. This support strengthens NLE’s capacity to grow in a competitive market while ensuring Aboriginal-led businesses have a role in shaping the future of Australian manufacturing and agri-food industries. For more information on the Industry Growth Program click on the following link: Announcing a new Industry Growth Program | Department of Industry Science and Resources
- View page: FIAL Yoordaninj-bah
FIAL Yoordaninj-bah
Yoordaninj-bah Yoordaninj-bah was a national project that set out to place Aboriginal people at the centre of Australia’s growing bush food industry. Running from 2019 to 2022 and funded by Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL), the project worked with communities, businesses and networks across Australia to explore how sustainable bush food enterprises could deliver cultural, economic, environmental and health benefits. Its work included a national feasibility study on bush food species, research into their nutritional and medicinal value, and the development of cultural and ethical protocols to protect Aboriginal knowledge and ensure Aboriginal Law and Australian law could work together. The project concluded with the launch of the Yoordaninj-bah - Coming Together report in August 2022, which presented nine key recommendations to guide a stronger, more inclusive bush food industry. Among its outcomes was a business case for a Bush Food Incubation Hub at Avondale to support ethical practice, knowledge sharing and innovation. By centering Aboriginal knowledge and aspirations, Yoordaninj-bah laid the foundation for an industry that is both culturally respectful and globally competitive.
- View page: Export Readiness Pilot for First Nations Agriculture
Export Readiness Pilot for First Nations Agriculture
Export Readiness Pilot for First Nations Agriculture Building pathways from country to global markets, this project strengthens Indigenous enterprises by developing the tools and systems needed to export high-quality bush products with confidence. Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), the Export Readiness Pilot supports the Noongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) to grow its wattle seed and Ngooka honey enterprises while creating a model for other Indigenous producers entering international markets. The Pilot focuses on three proof-of-concept projects: Trialling a digital traceability system for honey exports to the European Union and Singapore. Developing an export market for wattle seed into Singapore. Planning an Indigenous-led facility for extraction, storage, manufacturing and packing to increase ownership across the supply chain. Alongside these trials, the project will develop export strategies, branding, and training to build the capability of NLE’s bushfood enterprise. It will also identify barriers to exporting and provide practical recommendations to support wider adoption of Indigenous products in global markets. Through this work, the Pilot helps create stronger enterprises and opens the door for more Indigenous producers to share their products and stories with the world.
- View page: DBCA Ranger Program
DBCA Ranger Program
DBCA Ranger Program Blending cultural knowledge with conservation and landcare, this program supports Noongar rangers to restore country, strengthen skills, and share knowledge between generations. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) Ranger Program has funded the Noongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) to train and employ rangers in activities that care for boodja while creating pathways for future employment and fee for service contracts. Across the life of the project, rangers take part in regenerative agriculture, cultural burning, seed collection, and seedling propagation activities. Knowledge sharing is a central part of the program. Elders join rangers on-country to pass on cultural knowledge of seed collection, bush foods, and bush medicines, ensuring traditional practices remain strong alongside new skills. The program also aims to secure additional commercial contracts, creating long-term opportunities for NLE. Through this combination of cultural guidance, practical training, and environmental restoration, the DBCA Ranger Program strengthens both country and community while building capacity for future generations of Noongar rangers.
- View page: Cluster Connect
Cluster Connect
Cluster Connect Cluster Connect is an alliance between five like minded organisations that all support food and agribusiness. By creating this alliance the organisations can support each other and partner together to deliver projects and programs on a national basis. The five organisations making up Cluster Connect are Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN) in Queensland, Central Coast Industry Connect in New South Wales, Food and Fibre Gippsland in Victoria, Fermentation Tasmania in Tasmania and the Noongar Land Enterprise Group in Western Australia. Together, these organisations form Australia’s leading agrifood clusters, working collaboratively to strengthen opportunities for food, beverage and agribusiness enterprises. By leveraging the collective strength of five state-based clusters, Cluster Connect builds a thriving ecosystem where agrifood businesses can innovate, connect and scale. For NLE, this role ensures Western Australian enterprises have access to a national network of expertise while also amplifying Aboriginal-led participation in the future of Australia’s food and agriculture industries.
- View page: Carbon for Farmers Voucher Program
Carbon for Farmers Voucher Program
Carbon for Farmers Voucher Program Administered by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), this program helped WA landholders explore carbon farming opportunities and assess how tree planting projects could deliver both environmental and economic benefits. As part of the program, the Noongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) worked with voucher recipients to identify suitable areas of their properties for tree carbon projects. NLE advised on species selection based on location, rainfall and soil type, ensuring plantings met the requirements of the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme’s Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Planting methodology. Working with Independent Carbon Advisors - a collaboration between NLE, Carbon West and Richard Brake Consulting - Carbon Farming Plans were developed for 23 landowners across WA, from Yuna in the north, east to Holt Rock, south to Albany and west to Busselton. These plans included spatial mapping, yield predictions and practical advice to help farmers make informed decisions. By funding expert input, DPIRD enabled farmers to better understand the opportunities, costs and risks of carbon farming while also building capacity in WA’s emerging carbon industry. Through this work, NLE contributed to a growing network of landholders ready to develop carbon projects that sequester carbon, generate tradeable credits, and deliver co-benefits such as healthier soils, stronger biodiversity and greater on-farm resilience.
- View page: Avondale First People’s Traditional Produce Innovation and Manufacturing Hub – Wattle Seed Enterprise
Avondale First People’s Traditional Produce Innovation and Manufacturing Hub – Wattle Seed Enterprise
Avondale First People’s Traditional Produce Innovation and Manufacturing Hub – Wattle Seed Enterprise Through its commitment to growing Noongar-led bush food ventures, this project laid the foundation for the Noongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) to establish a successful wattle seed venture Running from October 2022 to October 2023, and funded through the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) as part of the Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program, the project focused on research, harvest expansion and product readiness. Its goal was to facilitate ongoing wattle seed research and product development. During the project, NLE tested six species of wattle seed and trialled processing methods to produce commercial quantities of raw, roasted, and roasted-and-ground food-grade products. An expanded harvest in late 2022 and early 2023 yielded around half a tonne of seed, including Acacia acuminata, a traditional Noongar food species. By the project’s conclusion, NLE had achieved the capacity to be the first Noongar organisation producing food-grade wattle seed in commercial quantities. This milestone addressed a major gap in the industry, where less than two per cent of native produce is currently grown by Aboriginal organisations. View the project video
- View page: Australian-Grown Innovation
Australian-Grown Innovation
Australian-Grown Innovation The Noongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) is a partner in the delivery of the Australian-Grown Innovation program, a five-year national initiative to help growers turn new ideas into commercially viable products and services. Run by Hort Frontiers in partnership with Startupbootcamp and Cluster Connect, the program addresses major challenges in horticulture through structured mentoring across three stages - Engage, Incubate and Build. Participants take part in workshops, refine ideas with hands-on expert support, and test solutions in real-world markets, with some gaining opportunities to connect globally. Focus areas include climate resilience, intergenerational farm transfer, value-added product development, AI-driven technologies and supply chain improvements. All projects align with Hort Frontiers’ five themes: healthy living, adaptation and resilience, market access, disruptive technologies and capability building. By taking part, NLE is connecting with growers, innovators and global experts to explore new opportunities, strengthen business models and help shape practical solutions that make horticulture more resilient, competitive and innovative into the future.
- View page: Australia-World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Bushfoods Pilot
Australia-World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Bushfoods Pilot
Australia-World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Bushfoods Pilot NLE is one of three First Nations businesses selected to take part in the Australia–World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Bushfoods Pilot This Pilot, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), supports First Nations bushfoods enterprises to engage with the international intellectual property (IP) system, helping ensure that traditional knowledge, culture and products are recognised, respected and protected in global markets. Working alongside Fig Jam & Co, Native Oz Bushfoods, and World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) appointed experts Dr Miri Raven and Professor Daniel Robinson, NLE contributed to the co-design of a culturally appropriate training and mentoring program. The program combines technical expertise with the lived experiences of First Nations businesses, creating resources that are both practical and meaningful. Insights from participants are shaping the development of tools and a customised guide to support other First Nations enterprises as they grow their bushfoods export opportunities. This collaboration strengthens not only the businesses directly involved, but also the wider bushfoods sector, laying foundations for future generations to benefit from sustainable, culturally grounded enterprise.
- View page: Noongar Native Grasses Trial launches to restore country through traditional and scientific knowledge
Noongar Native Grasses Trial launches to restore country through traditional and scientific knowledge
The Noongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) has commenced the Noongar Native Grasses Trial, a major project funded through the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) Community Stewardship Program. The trial supports First Nations landowners and farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture practices and integrate cultural knowledge, including cultural burning, to restore ecosystems and biodiversity on Noongar Boodja (country). NLE chief executive officer Alan Beattie said the project was an important step in repairing country that had been heavily impacted by clearing and intensive farming over the past two centuries.“More than 95 per cent of Noongar country has been cleared, leaving landscapes and biodiversity largely destroyed,” Mr Beattie said. “This trial is about finding ways to heal country by bringing together Noongar native grass species, regenerative farming and Noongar cultural practices.” The trial is underway at three sites across Noongar Boodja: Yallalie Downs (Beemurra Aboriginal Corporation) near Dandaragan, Avondale Park (Yaraguia Enterprises) near Beverley, and NLE’s Boola Boornap native tree farm near Northam. At each site, Noongar native grass species are being planted and monitored to assess their role in improving soil health, restoring biodiversity and contributing to more sustainable farming systems. Mr Beattie said the project demonstrated the strength of collaboration. “We are fortunate to be working alongside Curtin University and the Native Seed Technology Innovation Hub, as well as with Noongar-led enterprises on country,” he said. “By combining cultural stewardship with scientific research, we’re creating a model that supports both land and people.” The Community Stewardship Program funds projects that deliver practical on-ground outcomes while building long-term capacity for environmental management. For NLE, this trial builds on its broader commitment to support Noongar enterprises and landholders to adopt practices that are both sustainable and culturally grounded.“Restoring country is not just about the environment, it’s about strengthening cultural connections and creating opportunities for future generations,” Mr Beattie said. “This project is one of many steps we’re taking to ensure Noongar people continue to lead in caring for country.” The trial will run through to mid-2026, with outcomes expected to inform future landcare approaches across the south-west.
