Walking the journey together – A.G. Coombs Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan

October 21, 2024

Progressive organisations are constantly reviewing their place in the world, and what their brand represents. Creating a culture that actively addresses biases and provides equal opportunities — regardless of gender, race, beliefs, sexuality or ability — is a priority for the A.G. Coombs Group.

The A.G. Coombs Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan (2023-2025) is a catalyst for change. By holding a mirror up to its own operations, and partnering with external business and community stakeholders, A.G. Coombs has crafted an Action Plan that looks to cast aside historical industry disparities
in representation.

Anchoring this into practice, the 50+ actions outlined in the A.G. Coombs Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan cascade from three key pathways identified as having the greatest possible impact in transitioning and transforming the organisation. These include:

Indigenous Pathways — A commitment to working with partners and the communities served by A.G. Coombs to create an industry that offers meaningful and sustained employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Advancement of Women — A sustained emphasis on equity in all workplace positions, actively encouraging women to apply for every role within the organisation.

People of all Abilities — Focusing on what A.G. Coombs employees can do rather than what they can’t do and a dedication to creating greater employment options for people of all abilities.

These pathways transcend many of the traditional employee value propositions in the building and construction sector and highlight the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in a truly inclusive and purposeful organisation.

Social procurement

With an empathic understanding of the historical injustices and imbalances towards Indigenous peoples, A.G. Coombs has implemented policies that look to actively engage Indigenous businesses, regardless of where those businesses may be in their development journey. This includes direct engagement or support via specialist subcontractors and the supply
chain ecosystem.

A.G. Coombs is a member of Supply Nation and a Platinum Partner of the Kinaway Chamber of Commerce – organisations that work directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses to progress the participation of Indigenous businesses in the broader economy. Beyond Indigenous networks, social procurement at A.G. Coombs extends to local supply chains that include disability enterprises, majority women- owned businesses and
veteran-owned businesses.

Excellence through people

Misconceptions of overly physical work have led to entrenched myths and biases in the building and construction industry, acting as barriers to women, people with disabilities and older workers.

A unified maturity across the industry has been helping to redress these inequalities. A.G. Coombs is taking direct action by providing a strategic framework to remove the old-guard barriers to participation.

By prioritising voice and participation, the A.G. Coombs Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Action Plan is providing a pathway to ensure the voices of people from diverse backgrounds are heard. From the plant room to the boardroom, this leads to increased participation and a direct influence of policy decisions, opportunities and culture.

“As one of the key pathways within the Action Plan, gender equity and the advancement of women is centred around the practical building blocks that advance female participation rates across all business streams,” says Kerry Ryan, A.G. Coombs Group Non-Executive Board Member and Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair. “The ‘inclusion’ part of D&I is so important because when you achieve true inclusiveness, you also achieve a sense of belonging. That’s the ultimate outcome.”

Strength & high performance through diversity and inclusion

The D&I Action Plan complements the A.G. Coombs Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). First launched in 2017 and now in its second ‘Innovate’ iteration, the
A.G. Coombs RAP works in tandem with the 2023-2025 timeframe of the D&I Action Plan.

There is a close alignment between the two action plans, with the first iteration RAP providing a strong anchor and platform for the D&I Action Plan. Some of the learnings and outcomes from the RAP have been accommodated within the D&I Action Plan.

According to Russell Telford, Managing Director of the A.G. Coombs Group, the RAP and D&I Action Plan are integral components of the company’s Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) policies and activities.

“The Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan builds upon many of the progressive initiatives that are already embedded in our company while advancing our strong commitment to industry leadership in all aspects of ESG activities.
We recognise that embracing and empowering people – regardless of their culture, beliefs, gender, sexuality or ability – makes clear sense from a business perspective. It’s equally responsible corporate citizenship and the right thing
to do.”

Leading with purpose

Significant effort and investment has been made to ensure progress with the D&I Action Plan. Numerous internal working groups have been established alongside external advisory input from a number of specialist organisations that support our work in dismantling entrenched biases whilst embodying all the attributes of being a good corporate citizen.

There’s a lucid understanding that A.G. Coombs is a microcosm of broader societal issues and challenges. This realisation drives the team to lean in with greater resolve. Acknowledging that the A.G. Coombs community includes external stakeholders and touchpoints, the D&I Action Plan casts its vision beyond the operations of the organisation.

“For our people, it’s about how this D&I Action Plan anchors us to our place of work,” says Aaron Clark, Executive Leader – Social Procurement, Inclusion & Engagement at A.G. Coombs Group. “Our plan places a deliberate focus on the tangible impacts and benefits that a diverse and inclusive A.G. Coombs workforce has within our own organisation and on the cities and communities in which we operate. This provides tremendous purpose for our people.”