Our Businesses
Empowering the path of purpose, passion and genuine contribution for Tasmanians with different abilities.
At OAK Tasmania, we recognise that often the greatest doorways to fulfillment come with a sense of purpose… Not just being accepted by our community, but contributing to it.
But for many Tasmanians with disabilities, the options for expanding their experience through meaningful work opportunities appear quite limited.
What makes Oak Tasmania truly unique is that we not only provide a full range of intimate lifestyle Services for Tasmanians with different abilities, we also offer genuine training and employment through 6 different OAK Tasmania-owned businesses devoted to producing quality products while empowering those with disabilities to take the next step into independence.
Walkabout Industries – Paper recycling, potting soil production and solvents decanting.
Oakdale Industries – Premium range of timber products – from floorboards to chopping blocks.
Tahune Fields Nursery – High quality pome and stone fruit tree cultivation for commercial orchardists.
Mailhouse Tasmania – Specialised bulk mailing services for government and private businesses.
Oak Sewing Services – Sewing and over-locking services to hospitals, schools, businesses and sporting clubs.
Grove Heritage Nursery – Preserving Australia’s largest collection of ‘heritage’ apple trees.
Our Businesses - we employ people
More about our businesses
With dynamic management teams committed to nurturing the path of growth and development in their supported staff, each business offers an incredibly valuable service to the individuals and the community as a whole – and any operating surplus is channeled back into ongoing initiatives within the OAK Tasmania community.
From our perspective, to be able to provide our members with genuine, recognised training across a variety of fields… To offer paid working pathways suited to their unique interests and abilities… and to witness their lives and spirits thrive as they engage in meaningful work in their community – is a gift beyond words for all involved.
“By continually asking ourselves how best to nurture the path of high possibility for those in our care, we continue to open doorways of new growth as an organisation – while expanding our service to the community. While many of our supported staff arrive into the workplace with a limited sense of their own ability to contribute, the path that unfolds is often life changing and transformational.”
“Our major purpose for being is to have a positive impact and contribution to the lives of people with disabilities… The successful businesses we have created in the process are in many ways a byproduct of this deeper commitment. By focusing on the needs of our people first and foremost – by making sure we have a happy morale, safety culture second to none, a staff that is waking up saying, ‘I want to go to work,’ for all the right reasons – we have laid the groundwork for a truly successful businesses… And it shows across the board.”
John Hollis, Divisional Manager Oakdale Industries.
