AEMEE is proud to announce the finalists for the 2026 National AEMEE Awards. The finalists were selected by our independent judging panel, drawn from the resources, energy and Indigenous business sectors.
Winners will be announced at the National Awards Ceremony on Thursday 5 November in Rubibi (Broome) as the closing evening of the AEMEE Conference.
Indigenous Business of the Year
is the 100% Aboriginal-owned commercial arm of Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation, delivering workforce transport, dry hire, grounds maintenance and rehabilitation work across the Pilbara. In April 2026 its joint venture, Yardi Mining Services, secured a five-year Earthworks and Civils Agreement with Rio Tinto along with rehabilitation scopes at Robe Valley.
is a 100% Aboriginal-owned contractor delivering civil earthworks, surveying and mine rehabilitation across regional and remote Northern Australia. Its work includes closure and rehabilitation earthworks at Rio Tinto's Argyle Diamond Mine, and in 2026 it completed the WA Government's Smoke Creek abandoned mine rehabilitation project ahead of schedule as head contractor.
Dreampath Recruitment connects Indigenous jobseekers with long-term employment across mining, construction and infrastructure. Its haul truck simulator and pre-employment program gives people who are new to heavy equipment a practical way to experience the role before they commit to a career pathway, and helps employers identify future operators earlier.
is a Weipa-based Indigenous business providing plant hire, civil earthworks, exploration clearing and vegetation management to resources clients in remote Cape York. With an Indigenous workforce of around 90%, the business recruits locally and develops its people from entry-level roles into skilled operator and supervisory positions.
is a 100% Aboriginal-owned construction, contracting and maintenance company founded by Wajarri-Nanda man Robby Mallard, with branches across Perth and regional Western Australia. The business delivers mine site infrastructure, civil works and electrical services for resources clients and port authorities, and many of its people start as trades assistants before progressing into specialised roles.
New Indigenous Business of the Year
is a Banjima/Nyiyaparli Traditional Owner business owned by Brian Tucker, delivering crane hire and heavy-lift services across the Pilbara. Since securing Rio Tinto's Mobile Cranes Master Services Agreement in December 2025, KGC has been delivering across sites including Paraburdoo, Tom Price and Hope Downs 4.
is an Indigenous-owned business deploying intelligent transport, warning and monitoring technology on road, rail and regional infrastructure across WA, Queensland and NSW. Working alongside engineering partner ARCS, Guardian installs, operates and maintains these systems, and it is the first Indigenous business to become a member of ITS Australia.
grew out of the closure of the Argyle Diamond Mine and now runs the leading native seed operation in the Kimberley from its base in Kununurra. Alongside seed supply it delivers nursery production, weed control, revegetation and environmental consulting, with annual profits reinvested into the Gelganyem Trust for Traditional Owners of the Barramundi Dreaming.
is an Anindilyakwa-owned aquaculture enterprise on Groote Eylandt producing sea cucumber (trepang), Blacklip Rock Oysters and seaweed. It combines marine science with Traditional Owner knowledge to build a Sea Country industry that creates jobs and training for Anindilyakwa people as the island plans for a future beyond mining.
KIBY Pty Ltd is a Supply Nation-certified, Indigenous-owned transport and logistics business founded by lifelong friends Rodney "Yuddy" Butler and Kim McAullay. From a single prime mover, KIBY has grown to 13 prime movers and a specialised trailer fleet carrying freight to Rio Tinto operations at Brockman, Silvergrass, Western Turner and Tom Price.
is an Indigenous-owned and operated business based in Belmont, Western Australia, delivering project management, maintenance, mechanical installation and crushing work for the mining and construction sectors. Since its founding in 2018 the business has grown to more than 50 full-time staff, and its project work includes the Kathleen Valley Green Energy Project and wind turbine installation and commissioning.
Sector Champion Award
, Managing Director of , is a proud Wajarri-Nanda man who has spent nearly 20 years creating pathways for Aboriginal people into construction and resources through mentoring, training and apprenticeships. After the Fitzroy Crossing floods he coordinated the donation, transport and fit-out of accommodation units for displaced residents, taking no personal payment for the work.
Kernon Lalara and Kurt Jaragba, Aquaculture Technicians at , joined through short-term placements and chose to stay on, helping pioneer a new industry on Groote Eylandt. Kernon brings a natural skill for finding sea cucumbers on Sea Country while Kurt has mastered the specialised work of processing them, and together they are encouraging other young Anindilyakwa people to consider careers in aquaculture.
, Managing Director of , has built a business where commercial success and community outcomes go hand in hand, mentoring employees from entry-level roles into skilled and supervisory positions. She works with training providers to bring training into remote Cape York wherever possible, and she was named the 2025 Cairns Business Women's Club Indigenous Businesswoman of the Year.
, Chief Operating Officer of , is a local Indigenous woman who advocates for her community's voice in the decisions that shape its future. She has secured funding through programs including Remote Jobs and Economic Development to create employment and training opportunities, and she mentors local people as they build their confidence and leadership.
Tania Stevens, Managing Director and Co-Owner of , has led the business from two employees in 2004 to more than 330, developing the Marangka Training Program and Sparks to Flames to support Aboriginal employees through mentoring, training and career progression into supervisory and leadership roles. Tania won the 2026 CME Outstanding Woman in Resources Award.
, Principal, Traditional Owner Business Growth & Development at , has built a structured development framework for Traditional Owner businesses using business development plans, health checks and quarterly reviews to focus on long-term growth. Drawing on years of living and working in the Pilbara, she champions Traditional Owner businesses internally and helps them keep strengthening their capability after every tender.
Luarna Dynevor, Chairperson of Barada Barna Aboriginal Corporation, is a former heavy equipment operator who has led her people through landmark agreements with BHP and the creation of new economic opportunities through 3BB Contracting. She has championed women’s representation in mining and inspires the next generation to lead with confidence and cultural strength, working to ensure her people not only work on Country but thrive on it.
Powering Country Award
is a 100% Aboriginal-owned industrial supply and manufacturing business headquartered in Western Australia and led by Co-Owners Chris Schmid and Reen Richards. Through its Impact Supply Chain approach, Woollahra links its commercial growth to Indigenous employment, Traditional Owner partnerships and environmental outcomes for more than 550 customers nationally.
is a 100% Indigenous-owned business supplying Buunan Birra™, its own dust suppression polymer, which binds the fine particles most harmful to lungs and reduces the water sites use on dust control. A successful trial at PLS led to a 12-month contract, and Kuranya is now preparing for a trial with BHP.
runs a multi-species aquaculture model that uses circular production, where one species supports another, within the Little Paradise precinct's renewable energy and water infrastructure. The organisation is also investigating how remediated mining land on Winchelsea Island could be repurposed for large-scale aquaculture ponds.
is an Aboriginal-owned WA company that converts existing diesel haul trucks and loaders to battery-electric operation. EPCA developed and tested Australia's first battery-electric retrofit for a Caterpillar 777 haul truck, giving miners a way to cut fuel use and emissions without replacing their fleet.
Collaboration of the Year Award
, Bunuba Dawangarri Aboriginal Corporation (BDAC) and the DMPE Abandoned Mines Program partnered on a Stage 1 rehabilitation earthworks contract delivered under the cultural authority of Bunuba Elders. Together they co-designed the Bunuba Ellendale Trainee Program, which combines on-Country experience with nationally recognised training and culturally appropriate mentoring to build long-term employment pathways.
is a 50/50 joint venture between 100% Indigenous family-owned Kurtarra Pty Ltd and Cape Dunstans, delivering civil, dewatering and infrastructure services across remote and regional WA from its base in Broome. The partnership has grown to more than 70 people, and Kurtarra Plant & Equipment, established in 2024, now has its own plant operating at Cloudbreak and Christmas Creek.
and AMY Nominees (Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara) partnered at Prominent Hill to build lasting employment and commercial capability for the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people, with Thiess providing equipment and operational support while AMY Nominees delivered labour hire and training. In 2026 AMY Nominees secured a run-of-mine contract with BHP in its own right, the largest standalone contract BHP has awarded to a Traditional Owner business in South Australia.
, Gawler Ranges Aboriginal Corporation (GRAC), Johnston Withers Lawyers, Australian Heritage Services and the SA Department for Energy and Mining designed an Aboriginal-led process for assessing renewable energy feasibility applications in the Gawler Ranges Release Area under the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act. The process centres GRAC's cultural authority in its statutory role and creates a model that future release areas can follow.
The , an equal partnership between Iron Mine Contracting and PKKP Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, delivers civil construction and mining services across the Pilbara, with PKKP Enterprises supplying half the equipment used in its operations. At Eliwana the JV has consistently achieved its target of zero contractor-related disturbances to heritage sites, and profits support PKKP Aboriginal Corporation programs for care for Country, language and heritage protection.
, and the Ely Trust (Ely Bauxite Mining Beneficiaries Corporation) have partnered on a local business advisory service around Weipa as mining shifts south to Amrun, with Rio Tinto and the Ely Trust co-funding the pilot and Business Foundations delivering it on the ground. The service helps more local and beneficiary-owned businesses into Rio Tinto's supply chain and the wider regional economy, preparing Traditional Owners for the time when royalties from Andoom come to an end.
Congratulations to every finalist, and thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate. Conference registrations are still open if you'd like to join us in Rubibi for the ceremony.
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