With key mid-year reconciliation and recognition events now complete, AREEA’s Programs Team provide this wrap on our industry’s First Nations inclusion initiatives and how we support our members with their actions and activities.

From National Reconciliation Week (27 May–3 June) through to NAIDOC Week 2025 (6–13 July), the resources and energy industry has once again stepped forward to recognise, celebrate and strengthen engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Across operations large and small, AREEA members hosted on-site cultural ceremonies, community storytelling events, and internal staff-led initiatives that brought this year’s NAIDOC theme –Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud – to life.

These moments do more than mark dates on a calendar. They reflect a wider shift in our industry: a deepening recognition that First Nations inclusion is essential to building culturally respectful, safe and sustainable workplaces.

As we look ahead to Indigenous Literacy Day (4 September) and continue momentum throughout the year, we ask: how can we move beyond symbolic actions to structural change?

Many employers are already on this journey, embedding respectful engagement and participation strategies into their workforce planning, site operations and leadership development. But real progress requires long-term commitment, shared learning, and the confidence to try new approaches.

At AREEA, we are supporting this transition – from awareness to action – by equipping members with resources, forums and peer-led insights to strengthen their capability in First Nations inclusion.

Member Initiatives

Through AREEA’s Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board and conversations across our national network, a number of leading themes continue to emerge.

Recruitment and retention: Many members are strongly emphasising culturally responsive hiring that reflects local contexts and lived experiences. This includes reviewing position descriptions, adapting interview processes, and working with Indigenous-led providers to support onboarding and retention. Employers also report success when building internal capacity to champion inclusion—particularly through Indigenous staff networks, local mentors, and site leadership support.

Cultural capability: There is growing appetite for cultural learning. Members are investing in training and development programs that go beyond compliance to foster real understanding—whether through yarning circles, immersive on-Country learning, or embedding cultural protocols into everyday practices. Such efforts not only support safer, more inclusive teams, but also enhance relationships with Traditional Custodians and Indigenous communities.

Pathways and participation: Many organisations are scaling up First Nations pathways, traineeships and early career programs, often in partnership with schools, land councils, or community job hubs. These initiatives are helping to create visible, supported pathways into the sector, while also addressing local skills shortages and long-term employment needs.

Supplier diversity: An increasing number of AREEA members are formalising their commitment to economic inclusion through Indigenous procurement policies. By building relationships with First Nations businesses—especially through platforms like SupplyNation—members are strengthening local economies and contributing to broader reconciliation goals. These procurement strategies also open new opportunities for innovation, sustainability and regional collaboration.

Community partnerships: The most enduring successes come from those who embed trust-based relationships with Indigenous organisations. Whether through social investment or co-designed employment initiatives, members are demonstrating that respectful engagement must be ongoing, transparent and place-based.

AREEA Support

To support this growing momentum, AREEA offers a range of resources, guidance and connection points for members advancing First Nations inclusion:

• Strategic insights via our Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board, which continues to highlight First Nations participation as a top industry priority
• Advocacy for industry-led approaches that reflect the needs, values and aspirations of Indigenous communities and employers alike
• Access to peer learning and expert perspectives, such as our recent webinar with SupplyNation, which explored practical steps for inclusive procurement and Indigenous business engagement
• Bespoke workplace relations advice, including support with diversity strategy, leadership capability development, and inclusive workforce design

These supports are tailored to the unique operating environments of our sector—whether you’re managing remote FIFO workforces, regional partnerships, or nationally scaled HR and talent strategies.

Spotlight Opportunity

We know many AREEA members are taking innovative, values-led approaches to First Nations inclusion—across workforce, supply chain, and community engagement.

If your organisation has launched an initiative worth celebrating, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]