Brisbane, 7 November 2011: Clayton Utz has reaffirmed its commitment to creating positive and lasting change in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the launch of the Clayton Utz Reconciliation Action Plan Annual Progress Report 2010/2011 and Reconciliation Action Plan 2011/2012.
Clayton Utz launched its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in March 2010 and has since implemented a number of initiatives to help address the inequality that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The Annual Progress Report 2010/2011 describes initiatives that have been undertaken to date, which include:
-
12 partners and staff participating with Australian Red Cross in Remote Communities Holiday Programs on Groote Eylandt and the Tiwi Islands;
-
more than doubling the Clayton Utz Foundation grants that have been made to Indigenous organisations and organisations supporting Indigenous students;
-
providing legal assistance to 106 Indigenous clients, representing 15% of the firm's pro bono clients;
-
working with Indigenous and community partners to launch an art exhibition on Groote Eylandt and successfully hosting the exhibition over three days in our Sydney office;
-
selecting a student from the Kimberley region of WA as the inaugural recipient of the Clayton Utz Indigenous Scholarship; and
-
significantly increasing our procurement of office supplies and services from Indigenous-owned organisations through the firm's Australian Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC) membership.
The updated RAP highlights the firm's focus areas for FY12 which include:
-
continuing to support Indigenous community partners through Clayton Utz's Community Connect program;
-
continuing to provide pro bono advice and assistance to Indigenous Australians and Indigenous-operated organisations;
-
building cultural awareness within Clayton Utz through relevant training and education;
-
creating and supporting employment and education for Indigenous Australians; and
-
continuing to include Indigenous-owned companies as part of our procurement process.
Brisbane partner Alan Maguire – who is overseeing the firm's RAP commitments, and will assume the role of Brisbane Partner-in-Charge on 1 January 2012 – said: "This past year has laid the foundation upon which the success of our RAP can be built. Clayton Utz is committed to continuing to invest our time, energy, resources and enthusiasm in the implementation of our RAP initiatives as we strive to meet our vision for reconciliation."
The Clayton Utz Reconciliation Action Plan Annual Progress Report 2010/2011 and Reconciliation Action Plan 2011/2012 are available on the Reconciliation Australia website.