Unitywater Chief Executive Officer, Anna Jackson, said the Plan, which is formally endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, represents the organisation’s ongoing and steadfast commitment to Reconciliation.
“Our vision for reconciliation is to honour and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Australia’s First Nations with meaningful partnerships leading to improved environmental, community and economic outcomes, and integrating wisdom and knowledge into our future planning and operations,” Ms Jackson said.
“Through our formative Reflect and Innovate Reconciliation Action Plans, we delivered tangible outcomes including record First Nations workforce representation at 3 per cent and dedicated tertiary scholarships and industry trainee programs.”
In 2023 Unitywater also introduced an ability for its people to swap the 26 January public holiday for another date throughout the year, an idea that team members identified as a respectful way to acknowledge different perspectives on the date.
“In our new Plan, we are evolving our commitment to First Nations employment to focus on retention and ongoing development, using our sphere of influence to promote reconciliation among our partners and look for opportunities to work with more First Nations owned businesses,” she said.
“We’re still at an early stage in our reconciliation journey, but I’m confident we will soon push towards bigger actions that are co-created with community, knowing the basics are integrated into our daily activities and considered mainstream.”
Among the actions in Unitywater’s new RAP is the establishment and maintenance of a mutually beneficial relationship with First Nations stakeholders and organisations, and a commitment to increasing understanding, value and recognition of First Nations cultures, histories, knowledge, and rights through cultural learning.
Reconciliation Australia Chief Executive Officer Karen Mundine said she looks forward to following Unitywater’s continuing reconciliation journey and congratulated them on their second Innovate RAP.
“Reconciliation Australia commends Unitywater on the formal endorsement of its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan,” Ms Mundine said.
“Unitywater is part of a strong network of more than 2,200 corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have taken goodwill and transformed it into action,” she said.
To learn more about Unitywater’s reconciliation journey and the new the second Innovate Reconciliation Action plan, visit https://www.unitywater.com/about-us/publications-and-reports/reconciliation-action-plan.
ENDS
