A $231,000 Minns Labor Government grant to an Aboriginal-owned business in Nowra will see some 35 local women receive hospitality and catering training and create up to seven new jobs for local indigenous women in the Shoalhaven region.
The funding, to the Waminda South Coast Women’s Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation, from the Minns Government’s Regional Development Trust will be used to provide local employment opportunities and to grow the Corporation’s Blak Cede café, catering service, and bushfood garden operations.
Blak Cede is an Aboriginal women-led social and cultural enterprise which cultivates traditional foods from its Kareela Ngura community garden in Nowra to produce high quality products for its café and online store.
It blends traditional knowledge with contemporary hospitality, offering native ingredients through its menu and garden, and creating meaningful employment opportunities rooted in culture and community.
As a result of the funding, seven new casual staff members have been employed, and 28 existing staff members have received training, bringing the total number of women working across the enterprise to 35.
The Blak Cede Café enterprise is one of the largest employers of Indigenous women in the region.
The funding has helped build practical skills, including barista training, in preparation for the operation of a food van which launched in January 2026.
The funding will also allow the business to expand its digital expertise in social media content creation, marketing and brand development, helping Blak Cede promote its products online.
The Aboriginal Economic Development Package is funded by the Regional Development Trust and supports Aboriginal businesses to identify and deliver new commercial opportunities and training that improve economic and employment outcomes for Aboriginal people and communities.
More than $150 million from the NSW Government’s Regional Development Trust is currently being delivered through programs and projects, to provide strategic and sustainable investment where it is needed to support industries, businesses and communities across regional NSW.
