More than clean clothes: building healthier, stronger communities from the ground up - NAB
26 October 2026
First Nations Affairs
For most Australians, putting on clean clothes or climbing into a freshly washed bed is part of everyday life.
But in some of Australia's most remote communities, access to something as simple as a hot wash can mean healthier skin, a better night's sleep, and the confidence that comes with clean clothes and bedding.
It's one of the ideas at the heart of Aboriginal Investment Group (AIG), a 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned and self-funded corporation working across the Northern Territory. For more than a decade, NAB has supported AIG as it has grown its operations and helped First Nations communities build healthier, stronger and more independent futures.
Today, AIG's Remote Laundries have completed more than 95,000 washing cycles and created 138 jobs, with 100 per cent local Aboriginal employment.
But AIG CEO Elizabeth Morgan-Brett says success isn't measured by numbers alone.
Casuarina Laundry employees, Russell Williams, Sam Autio and Leanne Ariuu
"For me, it's not about what AIG controls. It's about what our communities and our people can do themselves," Elizabeth said.
"We're there to walk alongside our communities for as long as they want us to. The best outcome for us is when we’re told, 'We've got it. We don't need you anymore.'"
Operating in communities including Borroloola, Umbakumba, Gunbalanya, Angurugu and Milyakburra, AIG's laundries provide medical-grade hot washing that helps reduce skin infections and the risk of Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease.
The impact extends well beyond health outcomes.
AIG CEO Elizabeth Morgan-Brett is passionate about building capability, confidence and independence in Aboriginal communities.
The laundries provide local employment opportunities, including for high school students taking their first step into the workforce. One young employee, Veronica, started at a laundry while still at school before moving into childcare.
"That confidence and capability, and that soft step into the employment world, is a really beautiful thing," Elizabeth said.
The laundries have also become places of connection. Research conducted by the CSIRO across five communities found 85 per cent of respondents felt more connected to their community because of the laundry, while 70 per cent reported fewer skin sores.
That same philosophy underpins AIG's broader work supporting Aboriginal organisations and entrepreneurs. One Northern Territory couple worked with AIG to develop a business plan and secure funding to launch a company that now employs 20 people and delivers services across the Territory.
For Elizabeth, stories like these are proof that lasting change comes through capability, not dependency.
"Empowerment is education, capability and confidence," she said.
"That's what we're trying to build."
A happy customer at the Borroloola launch
As AIG has evolved, trusted partnerships have played an important role. AIG has banked with NAB for a decade, relying on support through periods of growth and strategic change.
When considering a major property redevelopment in Katherine, Elizabeth turned to trusted advisers, including NAB banker Matt Tybell, to help test ideas and shape a proposal for the Board.
"For me to take a proposal to the Board, it has to be underpinned by experience, knowledge and expertise," Elizabeth said.
"That's the value of NAB."
NAB banker Matthew Tybell has worked closely with AIG as the organisation continues to grow and evolve.
For Matt, AIG's commitment to community impact is what stands out.
"Elizabeth and the team have a clear vision for what they're trying to achieve," Matt said.
"Everything starts with community impact, and that's what makes AIG such a special organisation to work alongside."
Looking ahead, AIG plans to expand its Remote Laundry network and continue growing opportunities for Aboriginal people and communities across the Northern Territory and beyond.
Elizabeth hopes Indigenous Business Month helps shine a light on more stories like AIG’s.
“All too often the stories people hear are the negative ones,” she said.
“But here’s an Aboriginal corporation, and we’re not the only one, doing wonderful things with communities, not for them.
“That’s how you drive economic independence, healthier futures and self-determination.”
It’s an approach echoed in recent research funded by NAB Foundation and led by the Australian National University, which found that strong relationships and access to the right support can help Indigenous businesses navigate barriers to growth. For AIG, the goal is ultimately to build the capability and confidence for communities to shape their own futures.
To learn more about how NAB supports First Nations businesses across Australia, visit Sustainability and Community | NAB News - NAB
For all media enquiries, please contact the NAB Media Line on +61 3 7035 5015
