The relationship between Westpac Foundation and Resource Recovery Australia (RRA) has been a wonderful one since our humble beginnings in 2013. Last week it was strengthened significantly with a Change Management workshop held at the head office of RRA in Tuncurry.

Westpac’s Change Management Team, headed by Louise Carmichael, worked alongside the staff of RRA as we mapped the future strategic direction of the enterprise, including the management and impact of our growth.

John Weate, the CEO of Great Lakes Community Resources and consultant for RRA, had this to say about this opportunity to benefit from some of the knowledge within Westpac:

“When Resource Recovery was awarded the $530,000 in grant-funding from the Westpac Foundation to develop our consultancy services, we were of course thrilled”

“To now take this relationship further through a formal knowledge sharing arrangement is just tremendous.”

The Change Management workshop saw key staff from Westpac engaging with RRA, providing valuable expertise and human resources to support the next steps of the organisation, and at no cost.

Sarah Chisholm, Manager of RRA, has understood for some time that rapid growth can have adverse impacts if not managed effectively, and felt that the deeper connection with Westpac’s knowledge on Change Management will prove pivotal as RRA grows:

“The Westpac Foundation has always been at the forefront of supporting social enterprise in Australia and as we approach our third year, the value of having Westpac as our major partner throughout this journey has been more than financial.”

“The Westpac Foundation provides a highly strategic suite of supports that is really best practice in philanthropic partnerships.”

The visit was also an opportunity for Great Lakes Community Resources to show Westpac staff the best of what the Great Lakes has to offer outside of the typical holiday season.

At times, all of us in the RRA team often scratch our heads and are amazed at how far we have come as an organisation in this beautiful part of the world. Group Manager, Craig Rees, explains it best:

“Who would have thought 20 years ago that the Tuncurry landfill site would transform itself into a social enterprise of national significance? With over a hundred jobs created at our original site to date, we have been proving that recycling is a great job creator for our people and we feel very fortunate to attract industry leaders to the area as part of this growth.”

Resource Recovery Australia is a social business of the Purpose-For-Profit organisation Great Lakes Community Resources. Find out more here: www.glcr.org.au