Creating communities that are fair, inclusive, culturally sensitive, safe and supportive of all citizens requires dedication and participation from both residents and business leaders. For ConocoPhillips Australia, this includes a commitment to ensuring opportunities are created for Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, businesses and organizations. In 2021, the team developed and obtained endorsement of a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), a strategic document that includes a commitment as well as practical actions that will drive the organization’s contribution to reconciliation both internally and in communities. The formal, published document is endorsed by Reconciliation Australia and is designed to strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and non-Indigenous Peoples.
“As a global energy company, ConocoPhillips has a history of engagement with First Nations communities, including those in the United States, Canada and Australia. We strive to recognize the dignity of all human beings and foster an environment of inclusion that respects individual contribution and differences,” said Khoa Dao, President, ConocoPhillips Australia.
The goal of the RAP framework is to guide the company as we work to positively contribute to race relations in Australia. ConocoPhillips Australia recognizes the enduring and unique connection to land and waters that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have, and we celebrate their ongoing contributions to Australia’s political, economic and social landscapes. Through the implementation of the RAP, we are seeking to develop a deeper understanding of their cultures, histories and contributions. Additionally, the framework will help us measure and formalize our commitment and bring credibility to our intentions and actions to support diversity and inclusion. We also hope to remove systems and processes that create participation barriers, promote engagement and create opportunities.
Reconciliation Australia defines the process through five critical dimensions:
- Race relations
- Equality and equity
- Institutional integrity
- Unity
- Historical acceptance
These form a holistic and comprehensive RAP Framework, consisting of a governance structure supported by three pillars:
- Relationships: Working to improve and enhance the relationships between the broader Australia community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. For ConocoPhillips, this includes communicating our commitment to reconciliation and engaging and educating employees during Reconciliation Week celebrations.
- Respect: Increasing the understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, rights and experiences. At ConocoPhillips, this means ensuring all employees undertake cultural awareness training and implementing and adhering to cultural protocols.
- Opportunities: Seeking to address the gaps between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and other Australians. ConocoPhillips’ spheres of influence include employment, supply chain and community.
Since 2016, ConocoPhillips Australia has engaged a Traditional Owner consultant to deliver a day-long Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness training to our workforce. Over 200 employees and contractors have attended. ConocoPhillips Australia also participates in National Reconciliation Week activities and NAIDOC Week celebrations. This includes company-wide communications and awareness campaigns, and sponsorship and attendance at community-organized events. Local Elders have visited our workplace to speak with employees and share information about their culture and heritage.
“Over the last decade our business has worked to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and businesses participate in our workforce and supply chain,” said Fiona McLeod, General Manager Government and External Affairs for ConocoPhillips Australia. “We have also supported community investment initiatives that align with local community objectives.”
Since 2011, ConocoPhillips Australia has financially supported a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-oriented community investment initiatives. Program support is weighted toward education and training programs, many of which are tailored to specific local area requirements. For the Indigenous Pathways Traineeship Program, ConocoPhillips Australia collaborated to create job opportunities in the natural gas industry for Gladstone locals identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The program has run annually since early 2020 and provides two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees the opportunity to develop practical skills, through learning hands-on from experienced LNG professionals and in a classroom environment. The training counts toward a Certificate II in Engineering Production upon completion.
In 2019, ConocoPhillips Australia joined the Yalari scholarship program, which provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from rural communities across Australia the opportunity to receive a full boarding school scholarship for their entire secondary education. Efforts included a six-year commitment to support the high school education of a female Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander student. Through a public/private partnership with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, ConocoPhillips Australia is also supporting the Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program in Central Queensland. Through the program, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land and Sea Rangers deliver negotiated work plans that reflect Traditional Owner, local community, and Queensland Government priorities. Activities include a wide range of conservation services including cultural burns, feral animal and pest plant control, soil conservation, cultural heritage site protection and biodiversity monitoring.
The company developed the Buraligim Weiber program in partnership with the Central Queensland University to focus on improving reading and math skills in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It introduces STEM concepts at a junior level through activities that surround culture, community and the environment. ConocoPhillips Australia has supported PREQIP, a program operated by Education Queensland Industry Partnerships (EQIP) since 2011. Open to year 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the program promotes student engagement while developing employability skills and raising awareness of potential pathways through further study or a senior EQIP program.
“Our business in Australia is relatively young; however, we are taking meaningful steps in pursuing opportunities to support economic development consistent with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities’ cultural values and community development plans. We are only at the start of our journey, and it will require commitment and courage from all of us to achieve a truly reconciled future,” Dao said.