At Liberty Industrial, our strategy focuses on mutually beneficial initiatives for engaging communities. Our approach to First Nations participation is based on actively engaging with local communities, leader to leader, prior to tendering for work, to identify opportunities for local businesses and individuals to contribute to project delivery.
The key objective on any Liberty Industrial project is to facilitate opportunities for local contractors and individuals, with the intention to contribute to the economic wellbeing of the region throughout the duration of the project. This is realised through procurement policies and procedures that reflect our long-term commitment to ensuring locally owned and operated businesses and individuals share the economic and capacity building benefits our projects bring to the regions we work in.
We support initiatives that assist and elevate all local and Indigenous businesses in improving their capacity and resilience, and individuals in education and training for sustainable long-term skills and employment opportunities. This includes identifying and directly assisting in opportunities prior to commencing work, during and post project completion.
Liberty Industrial recognises and places great importance on First Nation Cultural Heritage, understanding the profound significance of specific places and objects that represent a deep cultural connection to their history and land.
Liberty Industrial aims to not only meet project goals, but to also build meaningful and respectful relationships with the community, honouring their cultural heritage and values throughout the project’s lifecycle.
From pre–tender, through to project completion, our key objective is to facilitate maximum opportunities for First Nations communities. This includes identifying and supporting positive and sustainable environmental outcomes, community and economic growth, promoting education, employment, wellbeing and respect.
Liberty Industrial’s Healing Country framework is uniquely tailored to suit the distinct requirements of each community and our project. By incorporating these fundamental principles, Liberty Industrial aims to advance sustainable outcomes that contribute to safe and healthy communities beyond the life of the project.
Before we even start tendering for work, we make it a priority to listen to Traditional Owners. We work together to develop and implement place-based remediation and rehabilitation opportunities, ensuring our actions are tailored to the unique environment and customs of each place, guided by traditional environmental knowledge.
Our leaders take proactive steps to meet with respective Traditional Owner Leaders with the aim to not only meet project goals, but also build meaningful and respectful relationships with the community, honouring their cultural heritage and values before, during and beyond the project lifecycle.
By taking the time to listen, understand, and tailor our approach to each community, we nurture collaborative relationships with local businesses, as well as government bodies, to identify the most sustainable local business and employee engagement for every project. Together we identify the most sustainable ways to engage local business and employees for every project, that reflects and is responsive to the community.
Healing Country starts with understanding. Our internal Cultural Awareness Training program helps increase cultural awareness across our teams to bolster our internal capacity to provide effective and two-way mentoring with our First Nation team members. Our internal Cultural Awareness program builds cultural responsiveness across our teams. This program fosters respect for the country we work on and the people we work with.
We prioritise regular community engagement, we walk side by side with communities, building strong and transparent relationships. By understanding and respecting their values, we foster meaningful connections that enhance our work together.
Liberty Industrial has adopted an employment readiness and trainee program that empowers First Nation, local and Indigenous people to unlock the growth potential of their community and local economy. Along with gaining nationally recognised qualifications in the resources and infrastructure industry, the program empowers participants to gain invaluable skills and knowledge, enabling their meaningful involvement in site closure and rehabilitation activities and leaving them with transferable skills to other industries for future jobs.
Liberty Industrial has already seen the successful employment of First Nations trainees, who achieved their Certificate III in Civil Contracting from the Rio Tinto Argyle Closure Competency Program and went on to full time employment with Liberty Industrial.
Liberty Industrial recognises that Traditional Owner Businesses play a pivotal role in ensuring that sustainable economic prosperity for the community goes beyond closure project completion.
As such, our employment and procurement policies incorporate strategies for engaging with local businesses and people. The commitment encourages our project delivery teams to give preference to locally sources indigenous businesses, subcontractors and supplier.
Through transparent and inclusive procurement practices, we aim to strengthen local and First Nation businesses, providing them with a level playing field to compete and participate in our projects’ supply chains. Through meaningful partnerships and collaborations, we strive to enhance economic growth within the local and First Nation communities, thereby contributing to sustainable development and shared prosperity.
Gumatj’s mission is to secure a better future for Indigenous people by building businesses that support the community and give everyone purpose. Liberty Industrial has a leader to leader partnership with the Gumatj Corporation to align on opportunities to provide meaningful economic generation and capacity building for the Nhulunbuy and broader East Arnhem Land community.
Liberty Industrial is an active member of Supply Nation. Liberty Industrial’s membership of Supply Nation reinforces our commitment to diversity both within our workforce and procurement processes. Supply Nation connects its membership to Indigenous suppliers to build a vibrant and prosperous Indigenous business sector by incorporating Indigenous owned businesses into the supply chain of Australian companies and government agencies.
Liberty Industrial are a proud annual sponsor of the Barker Indigenous Education Fundraiser. Dhupuma Barker is located in Gunyangara, North East Arnhem Land on the Gove Peninsula, Northern Territory. Students of Dhupuma Barker have gone on to actively compete in world’s largest robotics competition, the World Vex IQ Championships, lending to both the college’s ability to unlock student’s potential and assist with engagement in education in the local communities.
Whether it's a project you would like to discuss, an idea you would like to ponder, or perhaps you're just keen to learn more. We'd love to hear from you!
Get in touch