Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) are a visible, tangible and meaningful way for businesses to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
But for some smaller companies, the time, energy and money that would go into creating a RAP can be more impactful when directed towards putting reconciliation into action.
As a member of the New South Wales Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Australian Rail Technology (ART) Chief Executive Officer David Wynd is always looking for opportunities to strengthen engagement with Indigenous Australians.
In an expansion of its Sydney-based operations, ART recently opened a new facility in Hervey Bay, Queensland, which will help to create a new fleet of trains, built and maintained locally by Downer Rail and Hyundai Rotem.
Wynd said ART has been working closely with Butchulla Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC) – an organisation established to hold and manage the native title rights and interests of the Butchulla People – since day one.
“As an organisation, we looked at coming up with a RAP, but as a SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) we instead decided to spend the money on implementing a plan to employ Indigenous people and give them training and career opportunities,” he said.
“Since identifying the Hervey Bay site, we’ve been working with local Indigenous organisations, supported by BNTAC, to recruit locals for entry-level roles and create training pathways that will open lifelong career opportunities for them.
“We’re only in the very early stages of the project and expect to be recruiting for the next 12 months, but our first employee started a few months ago and today is actually our first day manufacturing – he’s fitting right in!”
Wynd said cultural awareness training is vital for everyone at ART – not just the handful of people based in Hervey Bay so far, but the full workforce of more than 30 people around the country.
“ART has a strong interest in Indigenous engagement, and we believe there’s a natural alignment between the way rail moves people around country and the legacy of Australia’s First Nations people who travelled across the land for tens of thousands of years,” Wynd said.
For ART, this has also meant being a vocal champion and supporter of ARA’s recently released, industry-first research on First Nations participation and engagement in the rail industry.
The report was commissioned by the ARA to better understand the current experiences, barriers and opportunities of First Nations people working in rail, as well as workplace culture, reconciliation and procurement. It highlights both the progress already underway and the opportunities for the industry to take more deliberate, long-term action.
ARA Chief Executive Officer Caroline Wilkie said the report provides an important evidence base to help guide the rail industry’s focus on strengthening engagement with First Nations people and businesses.
“The recommendations provide a practical roadmap for action to ensure culturally safe workplaces, stronger leadership, better employment pathways and more meaningful partnerships with First Nations businesses and communities,” Wilkie said.
The track towards reconciliation will be different for every organisation, but Wynd hopes the contribution of even a small company such as ART can make a difference in a cooperative and collaborative industry such as rail.
“I enjoy working for a small and rapidly growing company that can be agile and responsive to customer requests and manage very small, through to very large, contracts across all facets of the rail industry,” he said.
“Our experience in projects with multiple suppliers working together has been that in cases where we can collaborate with each other and the customer, the project is generally more successful. We were really happy to support the ARA in elevating the issues around Indigenous engagement and participation and welcome their efforts to drive change in the broader industry.”
.jpeg)
.png){kind=small}
