Medibank sows seeds of change

Medibank sowed the seeds for its future progress in Docklands last month with a symbolic sod-turning ceremony.

The company used a manna gum seedling to symbolise the idea of planting and nurturing change.

The original indigenous population of Docklands, the Wurundjeri people, take their name from the tall beautiful tree which once grew naturally in this area.

A descendant of the Wurundjeri people, “Aunty” Joy Murphy performed a cleansing smoking ceremony and welcomed Medibank to its new site beside Etihad Stadium in Bourke St.

The seedling wasn’t planted at the sod-turning ceremony.  Rather, it was taken away to grow and will be brought back in two years and planted in the park at the base of the new building.

All staff are expected to be in the new building by August 2014.  In the interim, they were all given everlasting daisy seeds.

Medibank managing director George Savvides said at the July 16 event: “The seeds of change have been sown and, although we don’t quite know what lies ahead, with the right amount of energy and effort we will surely thrive and create an exciting future for our company.”

“We’re taking those seeds a small step further today, by placing the soil that we take from the site here to nurture this seedling over the next two years, as we progress along the journey. And we’ll bring the robust young plant back to the site and plant it in our wonderful green park when we move in, in two years.”