Banner image courtesy of Transport for NSW (TfNSW).
At WSP, we design communities that bring people together from all walks of life. To do that, the most important skill we bring to the table as placemakers is our ability to listen.
Listening to every stakeholder’s perspective and understanding their needs is paramount when creating amazing communities, whose people are able to access equal opportunities to thrive.
Similarly, when it comes to important social issues such as our national day, we believe that above all else, we need to listen, understand and respect.
For many, 26 of January is an opportunity to celebrate our cultural diversity and rich migrant heritage which is very much part of our unique Australian identity.
For our nation’s First Peoples – whose history dates back more than 65,000 years – some consider it a day of mourning, and others use the day to mark the survival of their ongoing traditions and cultures.
“We employ 3,500 people, working on over a thousand projects a year across every state and territory of Australia,” says Guy Templeton, President and CEO for WSP ANZ. “Each one of these projects sits on a First Nations country, and we seek to tie the work that we do today to the enduring culture and history of our First Nations people and their connection to country.
“We’ve worked hard to involve Indigenous communities in infrastructure projects and to stimulate growth for Indigenous businesses and communities. Our Pacific Complete joint venture working with Transport for NSW and Laing O’Rourke on the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway Upgrade, is one recent example we’re very proud of.”
Image courtesy of Transport for NSW (TfNSW).
Pacific Complete and Transport for New South Wales committed to hiring local Indigenous leaders in meaningful roles. We achieved higher-than-promised employment rates, high community engagement and a selection of local Indigenous businesses became suppliers.
“We believe that reconciliation is a means to bring about mutual understanding and learning that will ultimately serve to create a sustainable, vibrant and connected future for all Australians,” says Russell Reid, our RAP Lead and Senior Aboriginal Affairs & Participation Consultant.
“Since we established our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2010, we have sought to embed the principles of Relationships, Respect and Opportunities in our business, and to engage our people, clients and partners in the journey of reconciliation.
“Now in its fourth evolution, our RAP was developed in consultation with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee. It demonstrates a deep dedication to making progress across the three principles of Respect, Relationships, and Opportunities.
“Today, we actively work to drive reconciliation by increasing Indigenous participation in our business through employment and ensuring we consider the Indigenous perspective in all the projects we deliver.”
Last year, we stood side by side with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and accepted the invitation to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
In whatever way you choose to spend 26 January, respecting different views and feelings about the day is our number one priority.
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