RAP Progress Report 2022

In keeping with MAX’s commitment to reconciliation and respect, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land and recognise that this land has always been under their custodianship. We pay our respects to your Elders and your emerging community leaders. 

In June 2022 we launched our second Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) as part of our commemoration of Reconciliation Week.  Our new RAP continues to challenge us to improve the things we are already doing and look for opportunities to further our commitment to reconciliation.

In our last RAP, we made a public commitment to supporting a Voice to Parliament and Constitutional Recognition. In 2021, we held a panel discussion with Dean Parkin (From the Heart), Sean Gordon and Damien Freeman (Uphold and Recognise), and MAX Managing Director, Deborah Homewood, which gave all employees the opportunity to hear about the Uluru Statement from the Heart and ask questions about the Voice to Parliament and constitutional recognition.  

The Indigenous Advisory Committee at MAX comprises Indigenous employees from across the business and acts as a strong voice to guide and shape how we support Indigenous people throughout the organisation.  A significant area of focus for the business has been the recruitment and retention of Indigenous employees and it is an area we continue to work to improve despite consistently strong performance.  

Recently, the Chair of MAX’s Indigenous Advisory Committee, Mr Sean Gordon, was appointed by the Minister for Indigenous Australians, as a member of the Australia Government’s Referendum Working Group.

We look forward to continuing to work with Sean and our Indigenous Advisory Committee to educate and inform people of the ways in which Constitutional Recognition will help to ensure that Indigenous Australians have a voice in the decisions that impact them. 

The Indigenous Advisory Committee has also provided significant support to Indigenous employees across MAX who regularly come together to discuss the issues of the day, recommendations to the business, and to contribute to the development of policies and programs.  

With the Committee now more established within the business, as a group they have recently developed an Indigenous Cultural Capability program that all MAX employees now undertake on an annual basis.  

The vision of our RAP continues to have a strong Indigenous voice for our Indigenous employees that is central to decision making and where Indigenous people have equitable access to employment and opportunities.  

Progress Update

We have progressed in many areas over the past 12 months including: 

• Continuation of our independently chaired Indigenous Advisory Committee comprising Indigenous staff from across MAX
• Continuation of our RAP Working Group which comprises all members of our IAC leadership group, the Chief Operating Officer and other senior managers across our business
• Increased purchasing from Indigenous organisations by 150% over the past three years to $1.9 million
• Increased our purchasing from 37 Indigenous suppliers in 2020 to 73 in 2022
• Continuing our partnerships with Indigenous organisations
• Achieved our 5 percent Indigenous employment target
• Continued development of the Cultural Capability Program and Effects of Racism programs for all MAX staff
• Continuation of our Indigenous School Based Trainees program
• Ensuring that each of our sites includes an Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners (underway)
• Ensuring a Welcome to Country or Acknowledgement at the commencement of significant events
• Supporting other organisations to start their RAP Journey and identify opportunities to increase the Indigenous representation in their businesses
• Participating in the Reconciliation Australia RAP Impact Measurement questionnaire
• Publicly reporting on the progress of our RAP
• Our support for the Uluru Statement and submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry
• A review of our Indigenous performance across our major programs
• Celebrated Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC weeks.