NAIDOC week is a time to come together to celebrate the rich history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Healing Country means embracing First Nation’s cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia’s national heritage. It’s an opportunity for everyone learn more about our culture and values to develop an understanding and respect for the diversity of our cultural differences.
This year we went big! Setting the scene at Symal’s new waste resources and recycling facility in Avalon, Wamarra hosted a traditional Kup Murri and invited the wider Symal group to share this traditional experience. Wamarra’s Hayden Heta shared the way he was taught to cook a Kup Murri – ground oven cooking and put on quite a feast for the group and their families.
The sense of unity in the air was infectious during a Welcome and Smoking Ceremony by Traditional Owners of Waddawurrung Country, along with a performance by Aboriginal dance group, Koori Youth Will Shake Spears. The Spears performed traditional Aboriginal dances in traditional costume and use ochre to mark their bodies with the traditional designs of their clan groups. It was a proud moment for us to see everyone come together, show their support with their kids as we embraced NAIDOC Week and what it means to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
During NAIDOC Week, it’s important to celebrate and reflect on our achievements as a new Aboriginal business. We set out to provide meaningful careers for at least 20 Aboriginal people which we exceeded with 25 hired in the first 18 months and have maintained a retention rate greater than 95%. The goals to continually reach for a minimum of 80% Aboriginal workforce and deliver ongoing tailored training and development programs for upskilling are the foundations of this business and proud to be achieving.
Our success is a credit to our talented team, each bringing a unique set of skills and capabilities. Together, we’ve been on an exciting journey, forming partnerships along the way, working on some of Victoria’s most prominent projects supporting Australia’s tier 1 and 2 contractors.
Together, we can all make a difference towards a more inclusive, diverse and culturally safe industry.