Over the past few weeks we have learnt about the bricks and mortar of ATCO – who are the owners and operators of the WA gas network, and the leaders in renewable gas across the state, but there’s more to the company than meets the eye.

Simon Beaumont’s recent interview with Wilmari Nel – The Manager for Community Investment and Partnerships, tells us how ATCO integrates and works with the community and about their community and partnerships programs.

Ms Nel explained that ATCO has a long standing history of supporting the communities where they live and work, with the philosophy of excellence, going far beyond the call of duty and genuinely caring.

They run a range of community programs focused on supporting grass roots community organisations such as the ATCO Communities Fund and ATCO Equipment Loaner Programs.

“The ATCO Communities Fund is an annual sponsorship program. We support groups in the areas where we work with sponsorships of up to $10,000. Additional to this Community groups can access our Equipment Loaner program that includes marquees and an outdoor cinema set up at no cost,” she said.

ATCO also has a strong focus on supporting Indigenous Communities recently launching their second Reconciliation Action Plan.

“Partnering with Aboriginal Communities is part of the fabric of our organisation globally and within Australia. We believe diversity makes us stronger, not only in terms of employees, but also our suppliers, our partners and our community.”

They also have the Muminbulah Wilak Six Seasons Garden at their Jandakot Depot, which has meant they can incorporate cultural learning and Bush Tucker into their ‘Adventures with Natural Gas Program.’ This program teaches gas safety principles through cooking to around 900 Year 5 and 6 students annually.

There are other exciting projects on the horizon for ATCO.

“ATCO is working hard to minimise our impact on the environment. There are big picture projects like decarbonising our network through blending in green hydrogen but also smaller projects like minimising disturbance to fauna and flora in doing pipeline upgrades, recycling our PVC pipes, greening our fleet and upgrading our offices to minimise grid based electricity use and reusing grey and rainwater,” Mrs Nel explained.

It’s exciting to see what ATCO has in store for the future, we look forward to finding out more!

If you are interested in applying for any of the ATCO community programs by heading to their website https://www.atco.com/en-au/our-commitment/community-engagement.html

Presented By ATCO