- Our Organisation
- Reconciliation Action Plan
Our Organisation
Reconciliation Action Plan
We are committed to supporting Australia’s Indigenous community by promoting awareness of Indigenous culture and issues among our employees and taking steps to support the reconciliation effort.
About the RAP
At NAIF we are committed to supporting Australia’s Indigenous community by promoting awareness of Indigenous culture and issues among our employees and taking steps to support the reconciliation effort.
When referring to First Nations People and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in this Reconciliation Action Plan, the term Indigenous or Indigenous Australians is used. This is not intended to cause any disrespect.
Our stakeholders who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples vary in the terms they prefer to identify their cultural heritage.
These include Indigenous, Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander, First Nations, First Australians or their cultural/language group – ranging from stakeholders including Prescribed Bodies Corporate, Land Councils, government agencies, and non-government organisations. We use the term Indigenous to capture both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and we do not intend to cause any disrespect.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to Elders past and present.
Commencing an Innovate RAP is a crucial and rewarding period in an organisation’s reconciliation journey. It is a time to build strong foundations and relationships, ensuring sustainable, thoughtful, and impactful RAP outcomes into the future.
Since 2006, RAPs have provided a framework for organisations to leverage their structures and diverse spheres of influence to support the national reconciliation movement.
This Innovate RAP is both an opportunity and an invitation for Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility to expand its understanding of its core strengths and deepen its relationship with its community, employees, and stakeholders.
By investigating and understanding the integral role it plays across its sphere of influence, Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility will create dynamic reconciliation outcomes, supported by and aligned with its business objectives.
An Innovate RAP is the time to strengthen and develop the connections that form the lifeblood of all RAP commitments. The RAP program’s framework of relationships, respect, and opportunities emphasises not only the importance of fostering consultation and collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, but also empowering and enabling employees to contribute to this process, as well.
With close to 3 million people now either working or studying in an organisation with a RAP, the program’s potential for impact is greater than ever. Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility is part of a strong network of more than 3,000 corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have taken goodwill and intention, and transformed it into action.
Implementing an Innovate RAP signals Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility readiness to develop and strengthen relationships, engage employees and stakeholders in reconciliation, and pilot innovative strategies to ensure effective outcomes.
Getting these steps right will ensure the sustainability of future RAPs and reconciliation initiatives, and provide meaningful impact toward Australia’s reconciliation journey.
Congratulations Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility on your Innovate RAP and I look forward to following your ongoing reconciliation journey.
Karen Mundine
Chief Executive Officer Reconciliation Australia
As the Australian Government’s key financing agency for infrastructure in the north, our initial plan was launched in February 2022. Our first RAP laid the groundwork for meaningful change, establishing strong relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and embedding a deeper understanding of their rich cultures and histories within our organisation. We have seen tangible results, from increased cultural awareness among our employees, to the implementation of initiatives that support the economic and social advancement of First Nations peoples.
As we embark on this next phase of our reconciliation journey, I want to thank everyone who has supported and contributed to our efforts thus far. This new Innovate RAP sets out how our organisation will continue to advance reconciliation. This plan is more ambitious, more comprehensive, and more focused on achieving lasting impact.
At the heart of NAIF’s work, each day involves ensuring the projects and proponents we support deliver positive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outcomes. The Indigenous Engagement Strategy (IES) program is a signature initiative for NAIF, fostering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation, procurement, and employment in infrastructure projects across northern Australia. Critically, IES plans are a partnership between project proponents and the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including Traditional Owner groups.
While it is still relatively early days with the implementation of many IES’, progress reported to NAIF is encouraging particularly with the creation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander jobs, spend with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander training and skills programs.
As NAIF approves more funding, we anticipate further opportunities to help deliver economic empowerment, which is a key driver of social change.
The IES program will proudly continue to be at the heart of our work as we seek to collaborate further with Government, business and local communities on further opportunities to tackle economic and social issues.
This Innovate RAP also emphasises the importance of partnerships. We will strengthen our collaborations with First Nations organisations, community groups, and other stakeholders to ensure that our efforts are aligned with the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We will continue to build connections and understanding within our workforce through cultural awareness training as well as engagement activities throughout the year, to mark events such as National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week.
Reconciliation is a collective effort, and it requires the commitment and participation of all of us. With the support of the NAIF Board, we encourage everyone within our organisation and the broader community to engage with our Innovate RAP, to learn, to listen, and to act.
Guided by this plan, we look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationships and finding opportunities in partnership with our proponents, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and our employees to grow and prosper, together.
Tracey Hayes
Chair, Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility
Craig Doyle
Chair, Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility
Bernard is an accomplished craftsman, curator and designer, born and living in Cairns. He grew up in Coen, Cape York.
His mother is a Djabuguy woman born in Mona Mona mission near Kuranda and his father is an Umpila (east coast Cape York) / Yirrganydji man from Yarrabah mission.
“I paint, craft and make artefacts to ground myself. Through the process of making a spear or shaping the figure of a spirit, I connect with my ancestors and they help bring my work to life.
My work is a way for me to acknowledge and remember the times of my great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers. My designs are inspired by the laws of nature and the forms found in the creation stories around me. Using these basic forms or designs, I work to represent the bond of art and the continuation of culture.”
Specific to NAIF, our vision involves delivering infrastructure in northern Australia which facilitates genuine, sustainable and measurable employment, participation and procurement opportunities for the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We aim to work towards this vision by facilitating genuine, sustainable and measurable opportunities through our infrastructure projects and fostering meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in northern Australia, not only through NAIF supported projects, but through sharing experience and encouraging other Specialist Investment Vehicles and investors.
Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group NAIF recognises the ongoing partnership and collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by continuing our journey through RAP implementation.
We are fully committed to fostering our inclusive vision with a quarter of the NAIF employees forming the RWG, including one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employee. The RWG includes:
- Chris Collins – Chief Legal Officer (RWG Chair);
- Alison Ball – Associate Director, Investment;
- Matt Pitman – Director, Stakeholder Relations & Communications;
- Ben Gertz – Senior Associate, Indigenous Outcomes;
- Amelia Ponton – Director, Legal (RAP Champion);
- Leanne Tullemans – Senior Associate, Investment;
- Dolores Cross – Executive Assistant, Office of the CEO;
- Ella Drake – Associate Director, Investment;
- Alexis Collins – Associate, Operations Support;
- Lyn Bluett – Senior Director, People & Culture;
- Ari McKinlay – Senior Associate, Business Support; and
- Helen Santolin – Senior Associate, Investment.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a significant presence in northern Australia and a strong connection to the land. Approximately 78 percent of the northern Australia landmass is subject to either the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (Northern Territory) 1976 or the Native Title Act 1993.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make up at least 14 percent of the population (8 percent in 2016) in the areas in which NAIF operates, compared to the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 3.2 percent, captured in the 2021 Census.
Proponents seeking NAIF funding must possess a genuine willingness to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This engagement is crucial for the success of their projects, ensuring they recognise the unique perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities whilst showing a commitment to foster collaboration and understanding.
To be eligible for NAIF finance, all proponents must develop an IES. This requirement ensures that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and interests are carefully considered and integrated into the project planning and implementation processes, and that benefits of the project are shared.
In addition to the IES process, NAIF has established relationships with numerous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, community groups, and stakeholders across northern Australia. NAIF partners with other Government agencies, via Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), such as the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), and the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC).
By promoting meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, NAIF aims to create a more inclusive and sustainably developed environment in northern Australia.
Our Journey
NAIF proponents have to date spent $49 million on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander procurement in support of projects, engaged over 190 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses with a total spend of $27m in the 2023 financial year, and supported over 1,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander jobs.
This will continue to increase over time as funding for current and new projects is deployed. NAIF recognises that there is no one-size-fits-all approach as every project and community that NAIF works with is unique.
NAIF launched its first Reflect RAP in February 2022, which further deepened our understanding, relationships, and opportunities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The commitments in our Reflect RAP were developed by our non-Indigenous employees across all offices with guidance from our Indigenous Outcomes team and established a strong approach towards advancing reconciliation internally and externally within our sphere of influence. The Reflect RAP allowed us to build on NAIF’s work with proponents through our IES program and on NAIF’s MOUs with IBA, NIAA and ILSC to foster collaboration to support positive outcomes and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in northern Australia.
The programs and measures outlined in our first Reflect RAP are now a recurring feature of our everyday operations across multiple offices, locations and work streams of Portfolio Management, Investment, Stakeholder Relations and Communications, Legal, Operations and People and Culture.
A key learning from our Reflect RAP is the importance of stability, continuity, ownership and the continued championing of RAP initiatives at all levels of our organisation. NAIF’s Innovate RWP is comprised of a broad cross section of roles and departments including our Executive, many of whom were not involved in NAIF’s Reflect RAP. The Innovate RWG has regularly consulted with NAIF’s dedicated Indigenous Outcomes team to ensure the RAP is developed and delivered in a culturally appropriate and responsive way, and to ensure that this next step in NAIF’s journey further strengthens our efforts to maximise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation, procurement, and employment in the projects we support financially and as an organisation. NAIF’s Innovate RAP builds on our day-to-day BAU and our hope is that our new Innovate RAP will help us continue the journey to reconciliation.
Get in touch
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can reach us via email at naif@naif.gov.au or fill out the contact form and one of our friendly staff will contact you as soon as possible.