Aboriginal art businessman regrets taking Games contract

THE Gold Coast businessman supplying Aboriginal artworks to the Gold Coast Games wishes he’d never gone for the contract, after accusations he was underpaying artists.

Jabiru Australia owner John Palombo said by the time he paid artists, suppliers, distributors and GOLDOC, he made less than 10 per cent from sales of the products, which are marked up by more than 100 per cent by retailers.

Despite organisers’ claims merchandise was flying off shelves, he said sales were slow and he’d lost $30,000 on the Games so far.

“The worst thing I did was get that contract,” he said.

“Sales are really disappointing – the worst thing I’ve ever done is get involved in this – for a business this size, $30,000 is a lot of money.”

Scottish-born Mr Palmobo said business rivals were making trouble for his company because they missed out on the contract and that his operation had been thoroughly inspected and approved by GOLDOC and the ACCC.

“We have nothing to hide, we’re not playing secret squirrel here,” he said.

“I have overheads, the factories that I have cost $1100 every week and it cost me to get the (Games) licence.

“I only use Aboriginal artists. They have proven themselves to be Aboriginal and I do not get my timber from Indonesia.”

Games CEO Mark Peters said the complaints on under payment had come from “a couple of individuals” and that GOLDOC was satisfied artists working on official Games merchandise were happy with their pay.

“The indigenous artists have met with the Yugambeh elders group and they’ve talked through the arrangements, they've talked through their products and they have endorsed them as absolutely genuine indigenous artwork,” he said.

“It’s the first we’ve heard about payment but again the artists have actually been very supportive of the arrangement that they’re in.”

Indigenous artists complained to the Bulletin that they were getting 50c for painted boomerangs and $5 for painted emu eggs that retail for $130.

Mr Palombo said the artists who painted his products had worked for him more than 20 years and considered him “a really good guy”.

“When I bought this business, no Aborigines were involved and now they are,” he said.

He said artists were paid 50 cents to paint the smallest boomerangs – which cost his business $1.10 each to buy and he onsells after costs for under $2 each.

For the larger boomerangs, which retail for $60, Mr Palombo said he bore all the production costs but retailers took the biggest share – artists are paid $5.50, GOLDOC takes 15 per cent and he sells them to the distributor for $26.50.

Aboriginal artist Lionel Phillips has worked for Mr Palombo for more than two decades.

“This bloke is as fair as they come,” he said.

“He’s one of the fairest blokes you’d meet and one of the most honest.”