First Nation Engineering Pty Ltd (FNE) is celebrating the completion of its first contract, providing engineering design and procurement services to Northern Star Resources Ltd in relation to borefields expansions at the miner’s Thunderbox, Carosue Dam and KCGM Operations, in Western Australia.

FNE is a registered Supply Nation Indigenous business, an incorporated joint venture between a subsidiary of the Carey Group — one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal commercial enterprise, with over 27 years of project delivery excellence in the mining, civil and training industries — and CPC Engineering — which began in the Goldfields more than 50 years ago and now offers end-to-end mining and infrastructure services for clients state-wide.

FNE is the first Indigenous company to offer comprehensive design, construction and maintenance services across the resources, energy and agricultural sectors, it says, with the joint venture launched a year ago at the 2022 Diggers and Dealers conference, in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

FNE Chief Executive Officer, Moses Panashe, said: “FNE is pleased to have partnered with Northern Star on this project. My hope is that we will continue to work with Northern Star in the future, and that this is just the beginning.

“The other benefit is that under the terms of the joint venture, a percentage of profits from First Nation Engineering projects are set aside for special purpose programs such as Indigenous scholarships.”

Carey Group is involved in Aboriginal training, employment and community programs.

Northern Star’s KCGM Operations General Manager, Kous Kirsten, said Northern Star was “committed to establishing sustainable supply contracts with Indigenous businesses across the Company’s Australian Operations”.

Kirsten added: “Northern Star recognises the value Indigenous businesses create within our supply chain, and the benefits they generate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and local economies. Northern Star looks forward to developing many other opportunities to engage First Nation Engineering.”