Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions Australia has set itself ambitious targets for building new bridges with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the release of its second Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
Unveiled at a ceremony at the company’s Heatherbrae workshops near Newcastle, NSW, the plan lists a range of concrete initiatives to help further strengthen ties to First Nations peoples, including new mentoring and networking programs. It follows on from the release of Sandvik’s first RAP in 2018 and the 2020 launch of its first Innovate RAP.
“Helping to create a fairer, more equitable Australia through reconciliation is a journey – and one that we are extremely proud to be on. While we have achieved a great deal since we first began work in this area back in 2016, there is still more to be done. And this action plan aims to take us still further along that road.”
said Wayne Scrivens, Managing Director for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions Australia.
Melita Hegarty, Community Engagement and First Nations Advisor for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions Sales Area Australia and New Zealand, says the new RAP has a strong focus on creating authentic and meaningful action to advance reconciliation.
“We are building on our existing engagement, employment, procurement and cultural learning strategies as they evolve. By doing this, we’re able to ensure that they both continue to create a positive impact in communities and that they are effective for our organisation.”
affirmed Melita Hegarty, Community Engagement and First Nations Advisor for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions Sales Area Australia and New Zealand.
A solid foundation
Part of the new RAP focuses on examining Sandvik’s key achievements and learnings from its previous reconciliation work. Major achievements identified include increasing First Nations employment levels, signing a major supplier agreement with a First Nations business, and establishing a network of Local RAP Champions. Some of the key learnings Sandvik has taken on board include changing employment procedures to better suit First Nations candidates, introducing OnCountry learning programs for staff, and having stock procurement-agreements in place to make it easier for Indigenous businesses to begin supplying the company.
The next steps in Sandvik’s contribution to reconciliation
The RAP also sets out an extensive plan to contribute to reconciliation across the areas of Relationships, Respect, Opportunities and Governance through to 2025. Some stand-out initiatives include upscaling engagement with First Nations communities, developing and maintaining a First Nations Procurement Policy, and launching a First Nations Mentoring Program and First Nations Staff Network.
Wayne Scrivens says work on the RAP fits in well with Sandvik’s global purpose of making a positive impact, as well as its core value of Fair Play. The company aims to actively show consideration for the environment and for the communities in which it operates.
He says Sandvik’s work towards reconciliation started with T3, a 2016 internal program that identified the need to engage with First Nations communities as a key priority. This led to the development and launch in May 2018 of Sandvik’s Reflect RAP.
Three key goals
Mr Scrivens says he believes Sandvik’s reconciliation helps to achieve three main goals.
“Firstly, it allows us to strengthen relationships with First Nations Australians throughout the communities we operate.Next, it enables us to enhance our staff’s knowledge and respect through our numerous learning opportunities. And finally, it provides employment and procurement opportunities for First Nations Australian people and businesses.”
said Wayne Scrivens, Managing Director for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions Australia.
Melita Hegarty has connections to the Juru (Bowen), Gangalu (Blackwater), Darumbul (Rockhampton) and Butchulla (Fraser Island) people. She remembers the challenges and anxieties she faced in joining the workforce and believes reconciliation work across the nation is making it easier for others to follow in her footsteps.
“We choose to do this work because it is important. We understand that in Australia our organisation operates on First Nations Country. We are acknowledging the past and building the future. Through this work we have the opportunity change people’s lives, like how my life was changed when I went for my first job interview 10 years ago. And like how many lives have changed since we started our RAP journey.”
affirmed Melita Hegarty, Community Engagement and First Nations Advisor for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions Sales Area Australia and New Zealand.
While the structure of every business’s RAP journey is different, companies typically progress from the ‘Reflect’ stage through ‘Innovate’ and ‘Stretch’ and arrive finally at the ‘Elevate’ stage.
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