As part of its aim to introduce private sector investment into the energy sector, the NZ Government offered for sale a 38-mw hydro-electric dam. TransAlta, Canada's largest clean electricity provider sought to bid for the hydro scheme and wanted to create a competitive advantage by adopting Corporate Social Governance principles and involving the local communities and traditional landowners in its bid. Our challenge was to bring the parties together and assist in bid management.
A growing number of businesses are understanding the competitive value of adopting alliances with indigenous people as a part of their CSG strategy. An innovative approach was developed by us to bring into the consortium of bidders the original indigenous landowners where the hydro-station was located. The final bidding consortium comprised of TransAlta, Canada, a local community-owned energy retailer, and the indigenous landowners. The final bid was unsuccessful on price, yet a model for the future going forward of inclusive investment was developed.
Close alliances between global corporations, community-owned enterprises and indigenous peoples showed demonstrable benefits to all involved. Research undertaken at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College in 1997 showed the benefits of companies linking in with indigenous and local community-owned enterprises, providing a community, social, cultural, and environmental context to their investment.