Working in some of the most remote areas of the country, it’s important to us that we also engage with traditional owners of the land, which is why we are proud of our recent partnership established with Tjiwarl Contracting Services, marking the start of a mutually beneficial relationship.
Commercially, the agreement will see Zenith and TCS work together to deliver low carbon power solutions for miners and communities on Tjiwarl native title determined lands. It will also see the creation of Joint Venture Project entities which will assist in building the capacity and capability of TCS, with reserved scopes of work.
However, we are confident the partnership offers much more than this, and will go some way to providing a framework for future discussions with other Traditional Owner Groups in the near future.
Indigenous engagement is an area in which we as a company are consciously trying to do more, to ensure the language written into our contracts around Indigenous participation carries with it some substance, and produces a tangible result.
Tjiwarl Director and Native Title Holder Kado Muir said while the commercial aspects of the agreement are essential in providing economic opportunities for Aboriginal people on their land, the partnership also provides the basis of a culturally-grounded business model.
“By engaging in a relationship like this, you’re taking a traditional business model and business practice, and sitting across the table with a Traditional Owner Group, to build a new culturally-grounded business model.”
“An agreement like this shows Zenith is paving the way in supporting Tjiwarl to address socio-economic disadvantage, while also creating a new opportunity for Zenith employees to expand their cultural awareness and understanding.”
It’s this cross-cultural awareness that Zenith is working to expand and build on, not only through our partnership with Tjiwarl Contracting Services, but also through the development of a relationship with Carey Training Group.
Zenith will work with Carey Group Training to employ an Indigenous apprentice within our maintenance team, offering experience and learning opportunities backed up by culturally appropriate pastoral support.
While employed by Carey Group Training, the apprentice will be embedded within Zenith sites, with the ultimate aim of being employed by Zenith at the completion of the four-year program.
In the same way that we hope our work with TCS will provide valuable experience for Zenith moving forward, we are also confident our work with Carey Group Training will assist us in developing a culturally appropriate and inclusive workplace for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
We know that economic participation and development is paramount in enhancing and advancing the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people, which is why Zenith is also in the process of developing a Reconciliation Action Plan.
The plan is a recognition that there is still more work to do to ensure that we can provide culturally appropriate support in the workplace, and offer a higher level of cross-cultural awareness across all staff.
It’s clear that we stand to learn from the cultural knowledge of Traditional Owners and other Indigenous groups, so that we don’t just occupy space on country, but appreciate the rich history and background where our operations exist.
It’s this kind of knowledge sharing that has the ability to produce strong outcomes for Zenith and the groups we engage with, and provide a foundation for our continued reconciliation journey.
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