Indigenous Business Expo wins national award
Wollongong City Council and Otford-based Sacred Country Consulting have won the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People’s Recognition Award at the recent 2026 Australian Local Government Awards held in Canberra.
Congratulations to Wollongong City Council and Otford-based Sacred Country Consulting on winning a prestigious national award.
At last week’s 2026 Australian Local Government Awards held in Canberra, they took out the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People’s Recognition Award for delivering a hugely successful Illawarra Indigenous Business Expo at the Novotel in October 2025.
For the first time, the 2025 expo was led by a local Aboriginal-owned business, run by Gemma Lloyd, a proud Dunghutti and Gumbaynggirr woman. Gemma’s enthusiasm and energy helped make the expo the perfect celebration of local First Nations’ businesses, with more than 60 stands showcasing talent and innovation.
After hundreds of people attended last year's expo, Gemma put the success down to giving First Nations people ownership of the event.
“I think being community led – by community, for community – makes all the difference because of how it filters through community, people hearing about it, people being aware of it, and people being willing to be a part of it,” she said.
Registrations are now open for the 2026 Illawarra Indigenous Business Expo, which will return to the Novotel on Friday, 23 October.
The Illawarra Flame is a proud media partner of the Illawarra Indigenous Business Expo.
