Equity & Diversity Annual Report – 2007 Foreword

This is the twentieth annual report of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) as required under the Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987.

The RBA's Diversity Program, as it has evolved over the past 20 years, aims to ensure that all staff are treated with dignity and respect in the workplace and experience equal opportunity throughout their careers with the Bank.

We have taken the opportunity of this twentieth anniversary of the abovementioned Act to change the format of the report and to focus on core diversity issues, initiatives and statistical outcomes. The report now comprises five sections: Equity & Diversity at the RBA; Workplace Profile; Human Resources Policies & Practices; Work/Life Balance; and Statistical Data Tables. Details of the RBA's current Workplace Diversity Plan, which featured in recent annual reports, are now contained in a separate publication Workplace Diversity Plan 2006-2008, incorporating the Bank's Disability Action Plan. A new Workplace Plan will be developed next year using the statistical outcomes established in this Report as the basis for future robust initiatives.

Bob Rankin
Chairperson
Equity & Diversity Policy Committee