Greenfleet is excited to announce our formal commitment to a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). This will help us take steps towards working more proactively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.
A RAP is a structured and formalised process for organisations to support the movement of Reconciliation. There are four types of RAPs that organisations can commit to – Reflect, Innovate, Elevate and Stretch. You can read more about the process at Reconciliation Australia.
For Greenfleet, it was important for us to take this step toward Reconciliation as we work directly on the land that has been managed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for tens of thousands of years. We believe that we have a lot to learn from Traditional Owners and acknowledge the responsibility we have to them when we are restoring land in Australia.
Greenfleet’s Reflect RAP was approved by Reconciliation Australia in January 2021 and we have now officially began fulfilling the actions required as a part of the plan.
In March 2021, we were joined by Willie Pepper, representing the Boon Wurrung Foundation at our forest called Wurneet Laang Laang in South Gippsland. Willie performed a traditional Smoking Ceremony spoke about the traditions of his community and importance of passing on knowledge to the next generation.
The process of designing our Reconciliation Action Plan also allowed us to reflect on the opportunities Greenfleet has already had in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
In 2018, Greenfleet planted 1,000 native and fruit trees at Kowanyama in Far North Queensland. These will act as a food source to the local community with fruits such as mulberries and bush lemons growing. Through this project we worked closely with the Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council to learn the needs of the community. Over time, the project will deliver a wide range of benefits, including environmental, health and well-being outcomes. Over the last year we have also began working with the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation and we see close alignment with the framework in which they operate.
To fulfil our commitments to Reconciliation through our RAP, Greenfleet has established a Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group (RWG) that will work toward delivering the actions needed. This group is chaired by Greenfleet’s General Manager, Partnerships, Michael Coleman and is made up of members of our Board and team.
Our RAP Champion is Greenfleet’s CEO Wayne Wescott who is dedicated to making strong steps towards Reconciliation.
“Greenfleet has been slowly but surely moving to becoming more proactive in our relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We recognise that our practical role in land-use, our ethical responsibilities to communities around us and our special alignment with ecosystem restoration and Indigenous return to Country are potentially powerful tools for the future.
Though we are taking only modest steps at the moment, Greenfleet is determined to work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over the coming years to play an effective role with them in enabling action on the ground.”
