Sustainability

We’ve been part of the Western Australian community for more than 125 years. We’re committed to improving the financial wellbeing of our customers and communities across the country.

Our sustainability pillars

Our approach to sustainability focuses on supporting vulnerable customers through transparent and responsible business practices.

We’re driven to create meaningful change for vulnerable homeowners through volunteering opportunities with partners focused on supporting those in financial need and at risk of domestic and financial abuse.

We share unique community insights and trends to help build awareness of issues facing vulnerable homeowners and to support the work of our key partners.

We proactively engage stakeholders across government, industry, and community groups to deliver insights that highlight issues facing vulnerable homeowners, to influence policy and create meaningful change.

We were founded in 1895 on Noongar Country. We’re dedicated to advancing reconciliation in Australia, with many of our colleagues living and working on Whadjuk Noongar Country in Boorloo (Perth) and across the nation, spanning many Aboriginal peoples' lands.

Our cultural awareness initiatives and Inclusion @ Bankwest networks reflect our devotion to ensuring all our colleagues feel safe to bring their whole selves to work. And we’re committed to supporting our communities through volunteering, partnerships, and research insights.

We embrace our role in contributing to a strong economy and resilient communities, through transparent and responsible practices.

Our contribution of economic insights by the Bankwest Curtin Economic Centre and our continual improvement of business practices ensures we are supporting a transition to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

Being a part of the CBA Group enables us to access the environmental, social, and governance expertise and initiatives of Australia’s largest financial services provider, supporting our work in areas of climate action, responsible lending, and addressing modern slavery.

Supporting reconciliation

As part of our commitment to advancing reconciliation in Australia, we’ve put in place a Reconciliation Action Plan (PDF). Through this plan, our colleagues strive to ensure we achieve our purpose of improving the financial wellbeing of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customers and communities every day.

We’ve introduced initiatives to broaden our understanding of Indigenous peoples such as eLearning modules, cultural awareness training for colleagues and installing Acknowledgement of Country signage.

We’re also proud to partner with Reconciliation WA to actively support their programs and activities. We take part in National Reconciliation Week and celebrate NAIDOC Week, with a range of colleague, customer and community initiatives.

Our internal network is Koort Waangkiny, which means 'our hearts are speaking' or 'heart stories' in Noongar.

Koort Waangkiny gives a voice to our employees in how and what we focus on towards reconciliation. It supports information sharing and contributes to building an awareness and understanding of First Australians' culture and history.

Perth-based Yawuru (Kimberley region) artist Justine Kinney designed a bespoke logo for Koort Waangkiny, which now also adorns our colleague uniform.

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Our Customer Assistance Line provides better banking access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customers through a culturally sensitive ID process, an alternative solution for failed ID checks, and Back Office Payment Transfers. No matter how remote our customers are, we can still help. In some cases, money can be transferred to a friend or family member for withdrawal.

We’ve formed partnerships with Jawun and CareerTrackers to support the development, learnings, and growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and people, and our colleagues.

A secondment program with Jawun provides Bankwest colleagues, who have been identified as possessing specific and desired skills required to support projects in indigenous organisations, a secondment opportunity with that organisation.

We also support CareerTrackers through an internship program providing – placements for Indigenous students to broaden their workplace experience and help set them up for success in the professional world.