New Reconciliation Action Plan released

MAX Solutions has released our 2022-2024 Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which outlines our vision for reconciliation, and the role that the business can play, over the next two years.

As part of giving every person, every chance, MAX seeks to build a stronger role for Indigenous Australians across the services that we deliver, while remaining committed to finding opportunities to promote and support reconciliation.

The 2022-2024 strategic document builds on the good work undertaken by our Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC) and RAP Working Group over the past three years, whose achievements include:

• Developing and delivering a new program on the effects of racism, ensuring that all staff across MAX not only understood the impact that racism has but also how they can take action
  
• Developing and maintaining the Indigenous Voice within our business through our IAC
• Reaching five percent Indigenous employment at MAX
• Hosting a nation-wide discussion with From the Heart and Uphold and Recognise on the importance of the Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians
• Making a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament
• Increasing our purchasing from Indigenous organisations
• Receiving a Welcome to Country from the Turrbal Traditional Owners and included a permanent Acknowledgement of Country at our National Operations Centre in Brisbane
• Celebrating NAIDOC and Reconciliation Week
• Embedding a paid day of cultural leave and maintained our existing Ceremonial Leave provision in our EBA

IAC Chair and proud Wangkumarra and Barkindji man, Sean Gordon, said he was happy witnessing the progression within MAX and commented that he was enthusiastic about Indigenous representation in the future. 

“As I look back at what we have achieved so far, I see the continuing and developing leadership of Indigenous people within MAX and how the commitment to ensuring a strong Indigenous Voice within MAX have continued to build,” said Mr. Gordon. 

“As with the last two years, the next two years will be full of challenge and opportunity.  I commend MAX for the actions and achievements to date, and for its continuing commitment to reconciliation.

“I look forward to seeing the impact of the RAP in the way that MAX delivers its services, engages with the community, and develops its Indigenous leadership.”

MAX Managing Director Deborah Homewood said that the release of the 2022-2024 RAP was particularly timely, given that the organisation had commemorated Reconciliation Week last week.

“Reconciliation Week is a moment in time each year where we can reflect on how far we’ve come as individuals, as a business, and as a society, towards closing the gap – and celebrate some of the successes we’ve had along the way,” said Ms. Homewood.

“It’s also an opportunity to as remind ourselves that the work isn’t done, it needs to continue – progress still needs to be made.

“It’s for that very reason that we’ll continue to implement a Reconciliation Action Plan within our business, to ensure that these issues are front-of-mind every single day.”