Our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

Shellharbour City Council’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan June 2023 – June 2024 provides a formal and detailed framework which directs our reconciliation journey. It is a further commitment to creating and sustaining respectful relationships with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within Shellharbour. 

At Shellharbour City Council we value, acknowledge and respect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of our community. Council has had 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.
 

Council will build on these achievements by implementing a Reflect RAP which will give us strategic guidance on strengthening our relationships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, organisations and services.

We will continue to build the levels of respect within our organisation, community, Councillors and customers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and histories. We also aim to provide an opportunity to be accountable and investigate what we can do within our organisation and community to work towards reconciliation.

Council’s Preliminary RAP working group have identified the following objectives that will guide our Reflect RAP:

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

View the full RAP plan below!