Our vision for reconciliation is an Australia that affords equal opportunities to all and we are committed to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel welcome in our businesses as team members, customers, suppliers and visitors.
As one of Australia’s largest employers with a presence in communities across Australia, serving millions of customers in our stores and businesses every week, we have gained an understanding of the challenges faced by Indigenous people, which has helped us to play a more proactive role driving reconciliation in the wider community and promoting positive attitudes and behaviours.
From early actions, such as our first Indigenous community partnership agreement to support The Clontarf Foundation in 2000, Wesfarmers has supported efforts to contribute to a reconciled Australia.
In 2009 we became one of the first companies to launch a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), formalising and extending initiatives that had existed in our divisions, often for many years. We focused on creating opportunities, building relationships and respect, and holding ourselves accountable by tracking and reporting progress.
We continued to expand our community partnerships program and we listen to our team members, including through the Wesfarmers Indigenous Network which was established in 2010.
Wesfarmers’ support of the Telethon Kids Institute, which hosts the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases since 2014, has provided insight into serious health issues in Indigenous communities, and how a targeted approach can deliver meaningful outcomes that transform the lives of many disadvantaged children.
