About GREAT
GREAT’s mission is to create an enterprise culture that fosters economic empowerment through the following:
- Identify, promote and support Aboriginal businesses in the Gulf;
- Develop business networks within and beyond the gulf region;
- Attract other funding and financing agencies to support GREAT activities;
- Invest in joint ventures with private enterprise; and
- Manage regional investments beyond the life of the Century Mine.
Economic Development
Download our Economic Development documents:
- Economic Development - a panacea - 726 KB PDF file
The real (UNAPOLOGETIC) solution for Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal communities - Economic Development in Action - 1531 KB PDF file
GREAT walk their talk with a $30m (self funded) balance sheet and no debt.
GREAT Activities
GREAT currently holds considerable investments in:
- The Roadhouse at Doomadgee. Rosie’s Chicken franchise (Doomadgee store is the best performing in the country)
- Doomadgee Roadhouse accommodation units
- Doomadgee Roadhouse 4WD Hire
- Normanton Traders grocery and lotto
- Daintree Discovery Centre
GREAT is currently working on:
- 4 more accommodation units behind the Doomadgee Roadhouse. 13 total
- New proposed concept to help change and curb the online gambling problem in Australia - online casino with 5 RSL Clubs on the Sunshine Coast.
- Construction of a 1,000 square metre Foodworks complex in Normanton. Complex will include fuel, lotto, white goods, electronics, automotive, and hardware.
- Rosie’s Chicken franchise for the Normanton Foodworks complex.
- Existing Normanton Traders site will be transition to a retail warehouse and distribution hub supplying the items listed about to the entire Lower Gulf region including the communities of Doomadgee, Burketown, Karumba, and potentially Mornington Island
- Establishment of a shopping cart system on both the Doomadgee Roadhouse and Normanton Traders websites whereby people can order, pay via credit card or layby items from our retail warehouse and distribution hub. The websites will house items from GAF (wholesale supplier of whitegoods) but we will also work with Cairns Betta Electrical, Big W and K-Mart to seek the best prices. Often sale prices from retailers like Betta, Big W and K-Mart are better than wholesalers so hopefully we will be able to offer some bulk/special purchase pricing to the region.
- A new attraction to the Daintree Discovery Centre. The attraction will be the first in the world! Due for completion in September 2022.
- Purchase of a grocery store in the North West by mid-October
ADBT
ADBT is committed to the development of self-sufficient and economically sustainable Gulf Communities that continue to value traditional cultures. We do this by offering a range of products including:
To achieve our mission, ADBT will actively establish, or provide assistance for the establishment of local business ventures for the general welfare of the native title groups, individuals’ families and local communities.
The ADBT aims to achieve this by:
- Providing low interest loans to find new and existing ADBT funded business ventures;
- Providing finance for equity in other ventures and, at the ADBT Board’s discretion, local land purchases associated with business development;
- Providing finance for relevant business & corporate training; and
- Assisting in community development programs.
For more than 20 years ADBT has been closely involved with Indigenous businesses providing mentoring services and support to a range clients. ADBT has funded and/or supported the following business start-ups, purchases and re-openings over the past four (4) years:
- Security business on Mornington Island
- Security business in Doomadgee
- Car hire business on Mornington Island
- Labour hire business in Normanton
- Water and tipper truck based from Gregory
- Ancient Journeys art gallery/retail used to leverage business opportunities for aspiring artists
