Reconciliation Progress

Our reconciliation vision is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across our network area can access opportunities equal to all Australians for education, employment and social participation. We envision a united Australia where First Nations cultures are understood and valued, diversity is celebrated, and everyone can be themselves.

Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) demonstrates our ongoing commitment to reconciliation and builds on the positive steps we have taken over many years to grow relationships and create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our RAP:

inspires our efforts to grow mutually beneficial relationships with peoples, communities and like-minded partners
unites our initiatives to create employment and other opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
enables us to build respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, knowledge and rights
brings transparency to our reconciliation efforts and enables celebration of successes and learnings from challenges.

The plan includes sustainable programs of activities, which seek to empower social, economic and cultural wellbeing, with many opportunities for employees to get involved.

Completion of our first Reconciliation Action Plan

We completed our first RAP (2020-22) in November 2022, with achievements including:

Career opportunities

Twenty-seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people joining our business as apprentices or trainees during 2021 and 2022
Providing all of these apprentices and trainees with access to culturally appropriate mentoring, via the Barranggirra Mentoring Program
Gaining exemption from the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board to advertise, designate and recruit up to 10 positions per year for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people only
Supporting four undergraduate university students through our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarships Program and offering a paid internship to one of the scholarship students during their final year of study
Continuing to partner with the Clontarf Foundation, which aims to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men
Commencing partnering with the Stars Foundation, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women to attend and remain engaged at school, complete Year 12 and move into work or further study
Listening to the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, to inform an Employee Voice Report
Developing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Recruitment and Retention Strategy and Professional Development Strategy.

Business opportunities

Procuring $709,000 of services directly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses during 2021-22.
Developing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Procurement Strategy.

Cultural awareness

Celebrating National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week each year
Including Acknowledgements of Country as an important part of all major meetings, significant publications and on our website
Recognising the many First Nations upon whose land we work and live by displaying the ‘First Nations and our network area’ map
Celebrating the artwork of Michael Lambeth, Bundjalung man and powerline worker from Casino, with Michael’s art featured on fleet vehicles and in NAIDOC Week celebrations
Developing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Learning Strategy, Protocols Policy and Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Creating learning opportunities for employees, including: cultural competency training and immersion experiences for leaders and particular business areas; access to online cultural learning for all employees; and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural information, imagery and storytelling within our new employee induction module.

Reflecting on these achievements, as well as ongoing and future opportunities, we are developing our second RAP throughout 2023.

Further progress during 2022-23

Further highlights from our progress toward reconciliation included:

Welcoming 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander apprentices and trainees to our business in January 2023; bringing the total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander apprentices and trainees to 29 and 162 employees who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (at 30 June 2023)
Procuring $1.29 million dollars of services and goods from registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprises during 2022-23
Partnering with Supply Nation, to target opportunities to increase spending with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses
Collaborating with a consultant archaeologist and Environmental Services to deliver Aboriginal heritage training for more than 100 employees involved in completing or assessing environmental impact assessments and construction
Leaders and local employees experiencing cultural immersion on Biripi and Bundjalung Country
Sharing educational videos with all employees for Bundjalung culture, as well as leaders’ and employees’ personal reflections on reconciliation and NAIDOC Week
Senior leaders attending information sessions on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and making information available to all employees
Recruiting two Indigenous Stakeholder Engagement Advisors (who commenced in August/September 2023).