For Leah Gordon and Lissa-Shay Burley, the transition to life on our INPEX contract at Ichthys LNG onshore processing facilities has been made smoother thanks to some 'Deadly' colleagues. 

Leah and Lissa-Shay are both recent trainee graduates. Leah, a Larrakia and Marrithiyel woman is a Training Administrator at the Northern Territory site and recently completed her Certificate IV in Business. Lissa-Shay, a Birri Gubba & Wiradjuri woman works as a Site Administrator and just completed her Certificate III in Business. 

Both women have become an integral part of the team and are part of the Deadly Network on site.  

The Deadly Network is led by a group of passionate leaders and supervisors in the Northern Territory and is aimed at providing Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) team members at Ventia with a sense of community within the work environment. 

^{Lissa-Shay Burley (left) and Leah Gordon (right) have become an integral part of the team and are part of the Deadly Network.}

"I have been introduced to more ATSI mob since being part of the TRACE Deadly Network Group," said Lissa-Shay.  

"This has made me feel more comfortable and allowed me to learn the skill of writing meeting minutes and how to effectively facilitate a meeting." 

For Leah, the network has led to building stronger relationships across the team. 

Participating in the TRACE Deadly Network Group has introduced me to many Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander employees that I have since built strong relationships with 

Having recently completed their studies both are looking forward to continuing their careers. 

"Working with TRACE has taught me a lot about the energy industry that I had always wanted to join," Leah said.

Reflecting on NAIDOC Week

Reflecting on the 2023 NAIDOC Week theme - For Our Elders - Leah and Lissa Shay both express their gratitude to those who have come before them. 

"This year's NAIDOC theme is important to me as it is a tribute to one of the most influential people in my life, my grandmother who was taken from her mother at around 8-years-old and placed in the Crocker Island Mission," Leah said.  

"It highlights the struggle that she endured becoming the strong woman I know today, that passed her knowledge down three generations. 

It (the theme) is a great reminder of the efforts made in the past and how far we have come to be the society we are today. Both my grandmother and mother have had a massive impact on me as a person and I am forever grateful.

For Lissa-Shay it's about the people who have come before and building on that legacy. 

"It means that without the struggles of my ELDERS I would not have the right for a lot of things. The ability to vote, to walk in two worlds, to get an education, to stand up and be proud to be an Aboriginal, to say that I am worth as much as the next person. 

I believe that I too can be resilient and move forward through any and all challenges that may come before me and rise to be a better person for my people and for all Australians. 

"It is reminder that our elders play an important role in our lives. That we must continue to respect our elders and strive to make them proud of who we are and where we want to be as First Nations People.