Supporting our Indigenous employees by providing a culturally safe and inclusive workplace and engaging with traditional owners is an important part of Ventia's reconciliation strategy.

One of the ways we achieve this is through our TRECCA team, who support contracts across Ventia engage with Indigenous communities to improve their participation and employee retention.

One such organisation is the Larrakia Development Corporation (LDC), who have been an integral partner on our TRACE project in the Northern Territory since it started operations four years ago.

TRACE is a joint venture between Ventia and Actemium (formerly Cegelec Oil and Gas). It provides maintenance services to one of the world's most significant energy developments, the INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG onshore processing facilities near Darwin, which produces and ships around 8.9 million tonnes of LNG per year.

TRECCA Deputy Project Manager Byron Davis recently visited the TRACE team to discuss the care and welfare of Indigenous staff working on the project along with Ventia Senior HR Business Partner Nicky Maxwell and LDC Labour Hire Manager Kim Haynes.

Byron said the LDC was regarded as one of Australia's leading commercial Aboriginal organisations and Ventia's relationship with them and the local community was very important.

"The LDC are the trustee of the Larrakia Development Trust for the Larrakia, the Traditional Owners of the Darwin region. The LDC is a not-for-profit corporation that creates commercial opportunities and economic benefits for Larrakia through its commercial operations and contracts they have with companies such as INPEX to give back to all Larrakia," Byron said.

"The LDC is working with TRACE to support 20 of its members across three project teams that are responsible for mooring the large vessels; warehousing and scaffolding; and the general service officer teams. 

The TRECCA team has also recruited about 40 Indigenous people to work on the project.

Byron said it was important to engage with the traditional owners where Ventia operates and work together for the benefit of everyone.

"The importance of the business relationship between Ventia and the LDC further demonstrates Ventia's commitment to capacity and income building of the LDC and Larrakia on this strategic project," Byron said.

As an Elevate RAP company, we respect the traditional people of the lands where we work and we do what we say we're going to do.

"We want to add value to the Darwin community by ensuring there is equity for people to participate and provide long-term sustainable employment for individuals and local businesses to help close the gap."

Ventia is proud to have more than 400 Indigenous people on our team who work in a variety of roles across all of our sectors, including transport, resources, critical infrastructure, health, housing, defence, education and justice.

The Larrakia, also referred to as 'Saltwater people', are the traditional owners of the lands and waters in and surrounding Darwin, including Darwin Harbour. To the Larrakia, Darwin is known as Garramilla.

^{Pictured above: TRACE team members Kim Haynes (left) and Nicky Maxwell (right) with Byron Davis (captured in May 2021).} 

NAIDOC Week runs from 4 to 11 July in Australia.

For more information on Indigenous participation at Ventia, click here.