Introducing Djurwa

Yalagan Group and BINGO establish Indigenous Recycling and Waste Management joint venture

Leading Aboriginal enterprise Yalagan Group has joined forces with BINGO to form Djurwa, a majority Indigenous-owned, Supply Nation Certified joint venture, delivering recycling and waste management services in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Yalagan Group are experts in Indigenous transitional employment pathways and provide a dynamic ecosystem as a Registered Training Organisation and a Group Training Organisation.

Yalagan Group and BINGO’s vision for Djurwa is to provide high-quality recycling and waste management services while generating genuine economic empowerment and employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Djurwa (pronounced Jurwa) in Dharawal language means “to grow”. The name Djurwa was chosen by Yalagan CEO, Supply Nation Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2021, and Djurwa Managing Director, Nathan Martin because of its reference rejuvenation after cultural burning.

“After spending some time in an area, our people would help the area regenerate by conducting a cultural burn. By the next season the vegetation would completely recover, as if there had been no people living on that piece of land. The meaning behind the name Djurwa encapsulates the mission of our joint venture – to regenerate lives, regenerate country and regenerate community,” Nathan said.

Djruwa provides end-to-end waste management and recycling services to Building & Demolition (B&D) and Commercial & Industrial (C&I) customers, and is already helping customers realise both their recycling and social/Aboriginal procurement and participation goals.

“We are passionate about generating opportunities for our communities. We support the aims of government Indigenous procurement policies, and our business imperative is to foster business development, stimulate entrepreneurship and provide overall better financial outcomes for people,” Nathan said.

The longer-term goal for the joint venture is to establish a thriving social enterprise that not only provides jobs, training and mentoring support for rehabilitated offenders but that also supports them in building their own businesses.

From BINGO’s CEO Chris Jeffrey:

“BINGO is honoured to be working with Yalagan on this joint venture. We believe Yalagan’s model of training and support for ex-offenders and for other marginalised job seekers provides our customers with an appealing opportunity to generate impactful outcomes with their social procurement spend.

“We are excited to support the growth of Djurwa and to work towards building a successful organisation that is making a real impact in the lives of vulnerable community members,” Chris said.

Djurwa is a Certified Business on Supply Nation’s Indigenous Business Direct and has also attained the status of FACCI Assured Affiliate with NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC).

BINGO’s work to build Djurwa and to support Yalagan Group is in line with our broader commitments to support Australia’s reconciliation efforts, which are reflected in our Reconciliation Action Plan.