Leading cleaning and hygiene services provider Quayclean Australia has announced a new partnership with Indigenous-owned company Multhana, aimed at expanding employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the University of Queensland (UQ).
The collaboration, already underway at UQ’s South-East Queensland campuses, has seen five Indigenous employees join Quayclean’s operational teams. With both organisations aligned in their commitment to social impact, the partnership represents a significant step towards more inclusive and culturally engaged workforce practices.
Creating meaningful opportunities through cultural connection
Multhana, a Supply Nation certified company, was established to create genuine training and employment pathways for First Nations peoples, particularly across urban and regional Queensland. The name ‘Multhana’ means “coming together to help each other” in the Kalkadoon language, a guiding principle that sits at the heart of the organisation’s mission.
“Quayclean is proud of its diverse working teams and leadership, and we are particularly focused on providing more working and training opportunities for First Nations people,” Quayclean chief executive Mark Piwkowski says. “We recently held a Yarning Circle where Multhana team members shared stories of their heritage, cultural responsibilities and customs. It also allowed our team the opportunity to ask questions, share stories and listen to each other. It was terrific.”
The Yarning Circle, held onsite at UQ, offered an informal and culturally safe setting for employees from both organisations to connect and learn from one another. These moments of exchange are not only symbolic, but also instrumental in strengthening workplace inclusion and mutual understanding.
Multhana managing director Joseph Wallace says the partnership builds on his company’s continued efforts to deliver both social and economic value.
“We are pleased to be partnering with Quayclean, and we look forward to developing the relationship for the benefit of First Nation people,” Wallace says. “Over the past few years, we have quickly made ourselves known by continuing to build and strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities, traditional owners and governments.”
With further plans to grow the partnership across new sites and projects, Quayclean and Multhana are setting a strong example of how commercial collaboration can drive real outcomes for Indigenous employment and empowerment.
