LEARNING THE OVERWHELMING
majority of Aboriginal Maritime Pty Ltd
(AML) employees voted in favour of an
enterprise agreement negotiated directly
with the marine services employer came
as little surprise to managing director,
shareholder and Indigenous community
leader Wayne Bergmann.
While the mid-2014 vote piqued media
interest for its lack of union involvement,
Bergmann says implementing an EBA
is fundamental to creating industrial
relations certainty and supporting the
company’s exciting growth plans.
“Having this enterprise agreement
in place will provide certainty for the
next four years of pay, conditions and
responsibilities. The support we receive
from our employees shows they feel they
are looked after,” says Bergmann, a former
head of the Kimberley Land Council.
“We may be called Aboriginal
Maritime, but about half of our workforce
are non-Aboriginal and all of our workers
get treated equally and fairly whether
they are black or white.”
While its connections to Indigenous
communities in Western Australia and
the Northern Territory provide strong
advantages for the company, just as
critical to AML’s success has been its
corporate structure that allows it to offer a
range of capabilities to offshore resource
sector and commercial shipping clients.
AML, the brainchild of former MD and
now chairman Clinton Wolf, and Perth
dealmaker John Poynton of Azure Capital,
is a non-operating holding company
that controls AMSA-approved seafarer
recruitment and placement provider
Aboriginal Marine Manning (AMM) and
iMarine Services, which caters for a range
of inshore and offshore work.
AML is also closely affiliated with
KICKING GOALS WITH
Aboriginal Maritime
With the involvement of prominent Aboriginal community leaders and AFL football
legends, Australia’s first Indigenous-owned marine services provider is kicking goals
for Indigenous employment and social outcomes.
the 100 per cent Indigenous-owned
Aboriginal Marine Services Indigenous
Corporation (AMSIC), which undertakes
training, mentoring and job readiness
programs for Indigenous candidates.
Another driving force behind AML’s
success is the calibre of its shareholders
and leadership group.
Along with Bergmann, who is also a
member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory
Group on Northern Australia, AML’s
Indigenous shareholders include a roll call
of AFL football legends-turned Indigenous
employment advocates, including
Essendon royalty Dean Rioli and Michael
Long, and 2006 West Coast Eagles
premiership player David Wirrpanda.
Nine Indigenous shareholders
currently have a 28 per cent stake
in the company, however, funding
arrangements will soon see them hold a
controlling interest of 51 per cent.
Bergmann anticipates AML’s workforce
of 61 to at least double annually as it
pursues an aggressive growth strategy
building on its current contracts.
iMarine Services has recently
established a joint venture with
international contractor Bourbon Offshore
to operate and manage crew transfer
vessels in Australian waters.
However the greatest activity remains
on the manning and crewing side of its
business. AMM provides Indigenous labour
for leading offshore services provider
Tidewater Marine and exclusively for
Our involvement in Prelude FLNG will be in developing
an Indigenous recruitment and employment strategy,
staff mentoring and delivering a sustainable community
engagement model.
Wayne Bergmann
SUMMER 2014-15 RESOURCE
PEOPLE
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LEADERSHIP
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