Innovate for reconciliation

This year we launched our ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Our Innovate RAP builds on the success of our first ‘Reflect’ RAP, which began our reconciliation journey. Since the launch of our Reflect RAP, we have celebrated the following milestones: 

• purchasing over $3.2 million in corporate procurement from 31 First Nation suppliers since 2013, 
• delivery of five-week cooking classes by Jamie’s Ministry of Food (in partnership with the Good Foundation) to local Aboriginal communities at Mossman Gorge and Cherbourg in Queensland, and 
• our first traineeship for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. 

Our Innovate RAP outlines our practical contribution to the reconciliation journey, in line with our reconciliation vision to shape thriving communities that make a positive contribution towards a more just, equitable, and reconciled Australia. Some of the 2017 – 2019 commitments within our Innovate RAP include:  

• rolling out Acknowledgement of Country plaques across our Retail portfolio, 
• launching four scholarships for Indigenous students in NSW, WA, Victoria, and South Australia in 2017, with an additional two scholarships to be awarded in 2018, and 
• improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment outcomes at Stockland and with our partners. 

Dale Clark, Stockland General Manager Group Project Management and Direct Procurement and member of the Stockland RAP Action Group, said “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to face challenges when it comes to employment, education, and wellbeing. This reality is not consistent with our values and we have a responsibility as an Australian company to seek to make a positive contribution”. 

Mel Johnson, Stockland Administration Manager and an indigenous member of the Stockland RAP Action Group, reflected on her experience as part of our reconciliation journey. She said “Being a part of the RAP Action Group has been a great honour. It has given me the opportunity to share my cultural knowledge, experience, and journey, and to educate the indigenous community across Australia about Stockland. My family and I made a presentation to the Brisbane office during NAIDOC week and the response from the team was unbelievably positive. My 10-year-old granddaughter standing beside me and presenting to the group in a confident and proud manner will always be in my heart and memory”. 

We look forward to reporting on further progress against our Innovate RAP within our sustainability reporting released in September 2018. 

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