Our Reconciliation Journey
At Shellharbour City Council we value, acknowledge and respect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of our community. Council has a long history of working towards reconciliation within our City. Some of our major achievements include:
- The 1997 Statement of Commitment to Aboriginal Australians;
- The creation of our Aboriginal Advisory Committee in 1998;
- Employment of an Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer;
- Annual celebrations and recognition of National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC weeks;
- The development of the Aboriginal Culture and Heritage Assessment toolkit; and
- The development of key internal processes including the Aboriginal Cultural Protocols document and Welcome/Acknowledgement of Country and Elders protocol document.
Our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
From June 2023 – June 2024 Shellharbour City Council delivered a Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan, which formally endorsed by both Council and Reconciliation Australia.
The Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan June 2023 – June 2024 provided a formal and detailed framework which directed our reconciliation journey. It was an additional commitment to creating and sustaining respectful relationships with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within Shellharbour.
During the delivery of the Reflect RAP Council continued to build on upon our reconciliation achievements; with a focus on strengthening our relationships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, organisations and services.
Council was guided by the following objectives which were established by the RAP Working Group:
1. Embed, nurture and enhance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures within our organisation and community
2. Strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the wider community
3. Ensure Council is culturally safe, responsible and accountable
4. Strengthen the way we work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
5. Become a leader of reconciliation within our City and the broader Illawarra Community
6. Provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to increase economic equity and self determination
7. Support and guide our work addressing the actions of the Closing the Gap NSW implementation plan
Outcomes and Achievements Report
ver the course of the past twelve months Shellharbour City Council worked in collaboration with the Aboriginal Advisory Committee and the local Aboriginal community to deliver the Reflect RAP.
The comprehensive action plan outlined an array of actions including conducting internal audits and research projects, engaging and consulting internally and externally with staff and Aboriginal stakeholders, and hosting community events and programs.
At the completion of the Reflect RAP, Council has successfully progressed 97% of actions, by commencing 8 actions and achieving 30 actions in total.
Progress of deliverables | Number | Percentage |
Achieved – one off action that has been completed in full | 27 | 77% |
Achieved and Ongoing – an ongoing deliverable that has been achieved and will be maintained into the future | 3 | |
Progressing – a deliverable which is underway and will take additional time to complete | 8 | 20% |
Not commenced / not completed | 1 | 3% |
total | 39 |
|
Reflect RAP Report
The results of the Reflect RAP have been summarised in the Reflect RAP Outcomes Report . The report contains highlights, staff stories and data relaying the outcomes of the action plan. View the full Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan 'Outcomes & Achievements Report' below-
The official timeline for the Reflect was 12 months, however Council committed to completing as many actions as possible and continued delivering the RAP until all actions were commenced in a meaningful and actionable way. By November 2024 all actions were completed to a standard which allowed Council to formally report on the Reflect RAP and start planning for an Innovate RAP.
The delivery of the Reflect RAP was beneficial to Council, community and customers across the board, and fostered social enhancements within Council, the local Aboriginal community, and the wider Shellharbour community. For Council, it has enhanced cultural awareness training, increased Aboriginal procurement, and strengthened our reputation as a reconciliation leader. For the Aboriginal community, it has demonstrated Council’s commitment to promoting respect, relationships, and opportunities, such as consulting Aboriginal community members on key projects and supporting local Aboriginal businesses.
The wider community has benefited through the delivery of community events and programs, which have fostered empathy, cultural understanding, and a shared sense of pride and responsibility. These social impacts have greatly benefited Council, Aboriginal community and the wider community, and lays the groundwork for continued progress through the development of an Innovate RAP.
Our future plans for Reconciliation
Now that Council has successfully completed the Reflect RAP, we can continue to build upon our reconciliation journey by embarking on an Innovate Rap. The purpose of the next phase of RAP is to put the learnings from the Reflect RAP into practise.
The learnings and findings from the Reflect RAP can now be used to inform and develop the future of our reconciliation contributions through an Innovate RAP.
Reconciliation Australia provides a two-year timeline to deliver an Innovate RAP. The delivery of an Innovate RAP supports organisations to make meaningful actions towards achieving an organisation’s vision for reconciliation.
The focus of delivering an Innovate RAP is to:
- Strengthen relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,
- pilot new strategies for further reconciliation commitments, and to
- empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.