On 30 October 2025, great hopes in the Indigenous business sector were elevated that the end of black cladding was one step closer.
An announcement led by Former Minister of Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt, AM, was picked up by a series of publications on launch day, each capturing the sentiment of a sector ready for change:
Read articles here:
New Business Register Hopes to Tackle Black Cladding — First Nations News
Black Cladding Concerns Prompted by AI-Focused Integrity Register — IBIR — The Indigenous Business Review
The coverage reflected the need for black cladding to be called out in terms of structural issues that need Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) oversight, and cultural ones that require a genuine connection to the community.
Since then, IBIR has worked with dozens of incredible First Nations businesses as well as spoken to industry, community, and stakeholders for feedback. What is abundantly clear is that what is needed is not just a register, but assurance.
IBIR has since evolved to offer Structure Reports to make ownership and governance transparent, Integrity Verification, allowing Indigenous businesses to step up and lead with verified credentials, and Corporate Tracking to give procurement organisations a way to manage their Indigenous business relationships with genuine accountability.
IBIR has always maintained that it exists to strengthen genuine First Nations Businesses– and that is exactly what we are attempting to do.