Governor of Victoria Visits Nigretta of Hamilton Social Enterprise

Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, visited Nigretta of Hamilton on Thursday 11 December 2025 to learn more about the social enterprise’s long-standing role in providing meaningful employment for people with disability.

Nigretta currently employs 22 supported employees, many of whom have been with the enterprise for more than twenty years. The team builds vocational skills, independence and confidence while producing high-quality timber products for customers across the region.

During her visit, Her Excellency toured the workshop, met with supported employees and spoke with Site Manager Jamie Lynas about Nigretta’s community and environmental impact. She took a particular interest in the sterilisation cloth recycling service Nigretta provides to Western District Health Service, the e-waste processing program designed to keep materials out of landfill and the plastics-sorting partnership with Sustainable Plastic Solutions. She also heard about the relationship Nigretta has with the local council through small community projects undertaken by the team.

A highlight of the visit was seeing the craftsmanship behind Nigretta’s timber chopping boards. To commemorate the occasion, Her Excellency presented Jamie with a Vice-Regal coin. Nigretta gifted Her Excellency a handcrafted redgum board as a thank you for her visit.

Reflecting on her visit, Her Excellency said:

“It’s clear that Nigretta of Hamilton is more than just a high-quality manufacturer – it also provides important employment opportunities in a safe and inclusive environment.”

“It was a pleasure to visit Nigretta and get a firsthand account of the difference it has made in the lives of its employees and to see some of the examples of their craftsmanship.”

The visit was an opportunity to highlight the pride, skill and contribution of Nigretta’s supported employees and the enterprise’s ongoing commitment to inclusion and sustainability.