Wesfarmers first developed a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2009.
Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs strategy is based around our five core areas of focus; increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team members working in our business, ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team members access career development and progression to increase representation at all levels of our business; increasing our procurement from, and support for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, investing in partnerships with organisations who are focused on improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures.
Our RAP builds upon our strategy to publicly commit us to specific, measurable and timebound actions, which drive our businesses towards our vision for reconciliation; an Australia that affords equal and equitable opportunities for all.
Our vision for reconciliation
Our vision for reconciliation is an Australia that affords equal and equitable opportunities to all. Wesfarmers is focused on having a workforce and supplier base that reflects the communities in which we operate, and so is committed to increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our workforce and building the capability of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suppliers so they can innovate and scale. Wesfarmers continues to focus on ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel welcome in our businesses as team members, customers, suppliers and visitors.
Our businesses
Wesfarmers is a successful company and one that creates value for all its stakeholders. As a result, we have a significant, positive impact on the Australian economy. As one of Australia’s largest employers with a presence in many communities across Australia and serving millions of customers in our stores and businesses every week, we play a key role in driving reconciliation in the wider community and promoting positive attitudes in the behaviours of non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
As at 30 June 2020, we employed 2,994 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team members which is 2.8 per cent of our Australian workforce. When we demerged Coles in November 2018, Wesfarmers was the largest employer of Indigenous people with 2.5 per cent of our Australian workforce identifying as Indigenous. Following the demerger of Coles, we have worked hard to return to employment parity and we have made significant progress towards our target which is three per cent of our workforce by 2022.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan
A RAP is a public Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island engagement strategy, registered with Reconciliation Australia. Our RAP is the overarching document for divisional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island engagement strategies. It sets out what we intend to do to drive our businesses towards our goal of a workplace that reflects the diversity of the communities that we serve.
Each Wesfarmers division operates separately and has a distinct culture. In keeping with this model, all Wesfarmers divisions have their own Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island engagement strategies. These strategies are aligned with our RAP and reflect unique divisional priorities, operations, locations and cultures. Our RAP is overseen by a Steering Committee that consists of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal employees, senior members of the Wesfarmers Leadership Team and external Aboriginal advisors.
Read our current Elevate RAP here.