Fortescue utilises Aboriginal Supply Chain to support remote Indigenous Communities in Lockdown

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread through the Pilbara, many local communities are facing supply shortages due to higher grocery demand and ongoing lockdowns.

Fortescue, with the support of Aboriginal Supply Partner Woollahra and Woolworths, have provided urgently needed grocery items to Aboriginal Families in isolated regions throughout April. The 400+ “Covid-19 Isolation Packs” contained more than 30 grocery & hygiene essentials including bottled water, canned fruit and vegetables, pasta, noodles, soap, hand sanitiser & toilet paper.

Given the urgency, Fortescue required the packs to be delivered to the Pilbara within a week of commissioning the project and turned to its Indigenous Supply Chain partners Woollahra to successfully manage the project.

Tom Weaver, Fortescue’s Group Manager Aboriginal Engagement said, “Working with Aboriginal contractor Woollahra, and with the support of Woolworths’ distribution network, Fortescue has distributed more than 400 COVID-19 isolation packs containing food, cleaning supplies and analgesics to families from our native title partners doing it tough in the Pilbara.

“There are hundreds of families across the Pilbara isolating due to COVID-19 and these packs will go a small way to helping them through this challenging time. It was great to see the team out at the Woolworth’s distribution centre.”

“In true Fortescue fashion, this initiative has come together in less than a week, and at a time when food shortages and supply chain disruptions continue. It’s been a true team effort.”

Chris Schmid, Managing Director of Woollahra and proud Mandandanji Man explained that this was not an easy project to deliver given the short timeframe and grocery shortages that were impacting across the entire WA supply chain, for this they turned to Woolworth’s & Centurion Transport who supported by assisting with supplying the product volumes and utilising their distribution centre and logistics network to ensure the project was a success.

"The team at Woollahra were delighted to partner with Fortescue on this fantastic community initiative. As a 100% Indigenous Owned Business that prides itself on our social enterprise model, we were delighted to support our Traditional Landowner Partners and their members in the Pilbara through the coordination and management of delivering these vital supplies.”

“We want to thank the team at Fortescue for their ongoing dedication to Aboriginal Communities, particularly in these challenging times and acknowledge the wonderful support of the team at Woolworths who were able to help us put together the grocery contents of the Care Packs and utilise their vast distribution network with the support of Centurion Transport to expedite the delivery of goods into the Pilbara."