Our stories Reconciliation Action Plan Refresh
Western Power operates on Noongar, Yamatji and Wangkatha land and we recognise the rich history and culture of First Nations peoples and celebrate their achievements, while acknowledging the past and the challenges they continue to face today. We’re committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace while actively creating and expanding employment opportunities for First Nations peoples at Western Power. In 2024 we completed our Innovate Reconciliation Plan (RAP) 2021 – 2023. We’re proud of what we achieved under the previous RAP – accomplishing 57 out of the ambitious 61 deliverables we set. We refreshed our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) for the period May 2025 – June 2027 to continue building on our progress in a sustainable way and create a strong foundation for our reconciliation journey. To guide the development of our refreshed RAP, we hosted our inaugural First Nations Employee Gathering with our First Nations employees to hear their perspectives on how can truly ‘walk together’ on our reconciliation journey. The gathering brought together our First Nations employees, senior leaders and allies for a day of cultural sharing, connection and formal collaboration to support our RAP. Their insights shaped our refreshed RAP which cements our commitment to take deliberate steps toward a culture of reconciliation. Our refreshed RAP covers four main focus areas: relationships, respect, opportunities and governance. This year 25% of our 28 apprentices are people from First Nations backgrounds and as at early 2025, our total number of First Nations employees was 2% and apprentices was 17%. To prepare for engagement with First Nations communities during the transmission network expansion, we ran 10 workshops with Aboriginal stakeholder groups to gain insights into their understanding of Western Power and their aspirations.
These workshops will inform the draft Aboriginal Engagement Strategy which will set the vision for Western Power’s practises and approach to Aboriginal engagement. National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week are major dates of significance on the Western Power calendar when we recognise and celebrate First Nations culture and history. Employees are encouraged to engage with the activities and resources provided to foster learning experiences. We updated our Aboriginal Procurement Policy Procedure, streamlining our procurement process for onboarding First Nations suppliers. Currently we have 47 contracts with First Nations owned businesses. Under our new Western Power and Australian Services Union enterprise agreement, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employees are now entitled to five days of paid First Nations Cultural Leave per year to attend ceremonial or cultural activities, which includes attending cultural ceremonies and events, participating in community decision-making, observing mourning periods and attending funerals and sorry business. Now into their fourth year, our partnerships with Waalitj Foundation and Clontarf Academy provide First Nations high school students pathways into careers with Western Power.
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Western Power Annual Report 2025
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