Siemens Mobility has signed an agreement with Indigenous capacity partner, Ganbara Facility Services, to deliver integrated facilities management, supported by ServiceFM, across three offices in Victoria and Western Australia. 

Established in 2016, Ganbara is committed to driving change and lowering the divisions and inequalities that exist between non-Aboriginal Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by providing them with employment opportunities and an improved quality of life.

This partnership is one of many similar arrangements across Australia where, encouraged by government incentives, companies are partnering with emerging First Nations businesses and services that drive Indigenous engagement and workforce participation. Other examples include the recent partnership between Central Cleaning Supplies and Wirrpanda Services in Western Australia.

Glenn Millican, head of procurement for Siemens Mobility Australia and New Zealand, said the agreement represents Siemens’s continued support of local suppliers and the procurement of Aboriginal businesses.

“Siemens has been in Australia and New Zealand for  more than 150 years,” Millican said.

“Through the years, we have provided infrastructure that is accessible, sustainable and reflects the communities we live, work, and play in.”

ServiceFM and Ganbara will provide planned preventative management of cleaning, electrical compliance testing, fire services, first aid, hygiene, HVAC, pest control, waste management, and electrical and plumbing maintenance.  

Millican said Siemens is the largest organisation within the rail industry to partner with Ganbara and ServiceFM and that, alongside partnerships with other First Nations owned businesses, this was a strategic decision to demonstrate a commitment to reconciliation while also strengthen the supply chain.

James Pollock, ServiceFM’s managing director said the agreement between the three companies would have wide-ranging benefits and encourage respectful, meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities, their workforce, and the services they provide.

“We are delighted to join forces with Siemens Mobility to deliver a comprehensive suite of services to elevate their workplace environments,” Pollock said.

“We look forward to delivering our high-quality facilities management model to service spaces that inspire productivity, collaboration, and well-being.”