b'01 0101STRATEGIC GOALS STRATEGIC GOALSGOAL 2: INTEGRATIONCase Study: Joining ForcesWhile Green Connect, Soft Landing, RRA and Community Services are unique, with their own02services and expertise, each part of our business works towards our shared Theory of Change: creating Strategic Goals thriving communities that value people, planet and the traditional custodians of the land. By joining forces and utilising all of our strengths, we can increase our impact and achieve this common goal.Rachel Walker, Community Resources Marketing Manager, says, There is a treasure-trove of expertise within our enterprises, and we asked ourselves, how can we share this wider? The advantage of coming together is taking the very best of what were doing, in different locations, allowing everyone to benefit Actions included acknowledging the Aboriginal Countryfrom shared knowledge and resourcing for a stronger impact.03GOAL 1: ABORIGINAL ORGANISATION we live and work on; learning local Aboriginal history; engaging with local community Elders; commissioningIn FY23, we demonstrated the benefits of this approach with two Aboriginal art; strengthening our connection with localjoint opportunities: the first between Soft Landing and RRA and Case Study: Cultural AwarenessAboriginal communities; and creating culturally awarethe second between Community Services and Green Connect.Training work sites. Soft Landing and RRA completed a co-submission to the Our team members choice of actions shows thatdraft ACT Circular Economy Strategy in December, as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoplerespecting Aboriginal culture and embedding ourselvesenterprises have worked extensively with the ACT Government have a deep connection to Country, whichin Aboriginal ways of being on Country isnt justorganisation, ACT NOWaste. Soft Landing operates as the sole encompasses land, sky, water and everything inabout grand gestures: its about opening the lines ofmattress recycler in the region on an ACT NOWaste site, and between. Its also family, knowledge, stories, andcommunication, building relationships, showing respectRRA manages the weighbridge contract for ACT NOWaste history.for the traditional custodians of this land, and moving inacross the state.the right direction.The submission was an opportunity to pool our resources04Supporting our people to build on their respect andRachel Walker, our Marketing Manager, attended theand share our combined ACT waste knowledge, allowing us understanding of this connection to Country is vital toWorimi training. She says, We left the workshops withto advocate for change in how the state manages waste. In achieving our goal of being an Aboriginal Organisation.more knowledge, better relationships, and more waysa positive result, the ACT Government has introduced new This year, two cultural awareness training workshopsin which we can work with Aboriginal communities. Itlegislation to support a legal framework to establish a circular brought a depth of knowledge and awareness to ourgave us the tools to continue our cultural education andeconomy in Canberra. organisation, and our people say it was a deeply movingdevelopment in our workplaces and personal lives.In our second partnership opportunity, Community Services experience for all.and Green Connect successfully applied to Paul Ramsay The two-day workshops were delivered by Felicity RyanWhile cultivating awareness and understanding canFoundations competitive National Employment Open Grant from Big River Connections on Worimi (Tuncurry) Countrytake time, its about continuously moving forwardRound, receiving funding to launch a three-year program called and Dharawal (Illawarra) Country. 43 senior staff membersand taking steps, however small. Our staff haveStrive for Success. and front-line managers from across our organisationshown dedication to this process after the workshops, following through on planned actions with humility andWorking collaboratively across two distinctive geographic attended to listen, share and learn from Felicity, whopersistence.locationsthe Mid-North Coast and the IllawarraCommunity05guided both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participantsServices and Green Connect will enable 450 young people through the sessions. A third cultural awarenessexperiencing barriers to employment to reconnect with workshop is scheduled for late 2023 on Turrbal (Brisbane)It was a transformationaleducation and training, become work ready and secure Country for another 22 staff members. David Petrie, our Soft Landing General Manager, attendedexperience; I learnt things Imeaningful work.Looking at the bigger picture, the successful partnership allows the Dharawal training. He says, It was a transformationalshould have known and heardus to leverage our subject matter expertise, scale up our work experience; I learnt things I should have known and heard truths that I needed to hear. I feel privileged to have beentruths that I needed to hear.and deliver a much stronger impact in our communities. given this opportunity.Rachel says, As a large organisation with numerous social I feel privileged to have beenenterprises and services, we are focused on working While building awareness of Aboriginal culture was collaboratively to scale up. We see this as a responsibility to the key goal of these workshops, it also encouragedgiven this opportunitythe people we employ, giving them confidence in our stability, attendees to take action; each of our staff created a list06of positive steps they could personally take towardsDAVID PETRIESOFT LANDING GENERAL MANAGER and a responsibility to the communities and Country where reconciliation in Australia.we live and work. Were here to make a positive impact, and we can do that better together. PAGE 12 Above: Ann Burbrook, Natalie Ridgeway, Felicity Ryan, Toni Paulson and Bella Peardon Lu Reh, Green Connect staff member'