Getting it right

From park ranger to change maker — Building better futures for Aboriginal Australians with Wamarra co-founder Hayden Heta

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Episode notes

Hayden Heta’s journey to founding his own construction company didn’t begin on a sawdust-covered worksite.  

He was initially a park ranger, before moving into a government role, but it didn’t begin in the parks or the office, either. Instead, it was on the sidelines of the football field, where Hayden coached a team of men in their early 20s, that the idea really began to take shape. 

After hearing repeatedly how his players were struggling to find work in construction, Hayden threw his own hat into the ring, and thus began Wamarra, a self-performing contractor connecting Aboriginal people with meaningful careers through long term and sustainable employment. 

Hayden shares how his experience as a Wiradjuri man, park ranger and government employee inform his decision-making at Wamarra, and explains why understanding social procurement (and teaching others) is such an important first step. 

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Getting it Right is a Jobsbank podcast, produced by Deadset Studios, hosted by Craig Foster. 

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