An Indigenous-owned, Keysborough construction company has won multiple accolades for its organisational excellence, including at the recent Premier’s Sustainability Awards.
Director Leon Egan established Wara Paring Civil in 2021 with three other Aboriginal business partners, supported by Melbourne Water and Aqua Metro Services, which inspired the organisation’s name.
“Wara Paring means ‘come walk the path together’,” says Mr Egan who has worked as an Indigenous Engagement and Education Manager, including for the AFL Players’ Association.
“Back in 2016 I first worked with Aqua Metro Services as the company was putting in an EOI (expression of interest) for Melbourne Water and they asked me for advice regarding the Indigenous component. This led to a cultural awareness training workshop and in 2018 I was invited back again.
“Melbourne Water and Aqua Metro Services recognised an opportunity to challenge what they were doing in the Indigenous space. I could see they were authentic to support an Indigenous business start-up that had a real opportunity for young Aboriginal people to work on Country.
“This was the catalyst to get Wara Paring Civil up and running but first we had to create and participate in an 18-month training program with Aqua Metro Services, which we finished in March 2021,” recalls Mr Egan.
The group then won a two-year contract with Melbourne Water, which Wara Paring Civil began on 1 April 2021 with a commitment to look after and care for the waterways and land.
“It’s our responsibility and it’s how we grew up. We do that hand in hand with Melbourne Water and we’re the only Indigenous business offering non-destructive digging,” Mr Egan says.
“We work in collaboration with local company Evergreen Environmental to recycle an increasing amount of waste materials and by-products, including topsoil.”
“We dig without having to put excavators and backhoes in the ground, so we’re not digging ‘blindly’. We use high-pressure water and vacuum loading to find what we need under the ground.”
Wara Paring Civil’s sustainable practices led to its win of Social and Economic Justice Industry Leader in the 2021 Victorian Sustainability Awards and has taken out three other major awards over the past year.
The company aims to acquire more trucks this year to create jobs for local Indigenous youth.
To learn more visit the Wara Paring Civil website.
