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Progress against our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan
The Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2021-2023 was endorsed by the council and Reconciliation Australia in November 2021. The Innovate RAP builds on previous work undertaken through the Bringing People Together Action Plan, which aimed to improve relationships, build respect and create more opportunities for the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. During the 2021 – 2022 year, Wodonga Council undertook the following activities.
KEY PROJECTS
• Reactivated the Mayoral Aboriginal Reference
Group meetings which include representation from local Aboriginal organisations and government departments. • Formation of an External RAP Reference Group to provide advice on the council’s implementation of the RAP. • Council participation in the Albury Wodonga
NAIDOC Committee to support community event delivery. Attended by estimated 2000 people. • Council participation in the annual National RAP
Conference. • Internal-led staff optional education campaign 20 Actions for Reconciliation - 50 staff participated. • Hyphen hosted a screening of The Australian
Dream during National Reconciliation Week with guest speakers and a Q&A. • The Push, a FReeZA funded youth event, welcomed a special performer, Isaiah Firebrace, and workshops delivered – partnered with
Wodonga Koorie Youth Network. • Creation of local Reconciliation Network RAPs in the Region - membership includes organisations with a RAP or are interested in the RAP framework. • Council hosted the annual opening National
NAIDOC Week event for staff and community – attended by about 50 staff and 50 community members. Livestream of event was viewed more than 900 times. • Formation of Gateway Island trail reference group guided of The Crossing Place Trail which commissioned artwork from local Aboriginal artists. • Creation of directory of local Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander businesses. • Established within the EBA a policy allowing up to five paid cultural leave days for Aboriginal staff.
ONGOING
• Development of an Aboriginal Engagement
Framework which will increase awareness of and encourage use of cultural protocols and engagement with the local Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander community and organisations. • Continuing support for the Wodonga Koorie
Youth Network to strengthen governance and engagement. • Building relationships with Traditional Owners and creating opportunities to embed cultural protocols. • Increasing staff’s understanding of the purpose and significance of cultural protocols, including
Acknowledgment and Welcome to Country protocol. • Updated the council’s acknowledgement to country, which is used in email signatures and at meetings. • Introduced an acknowledgement to country into all storytime sessions at Hyphen. • Staff forward requests from community stakeholders for a Welcome to Country to appropriate contact. • Where available, embeds a Welcome to Country in major council events. (ie. The Push Tour, CoCreate series, all-staff forums, citizenship ceremonies. • Include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers into council event programming. • Promote and encourage staff to participation in internal and external National Reconciliation
Week and National NAIDOC Week events.
• Include Aboriginal representation on Council’s
Place Naming Committee. • Complete annual submission for the RAP Impact Measurement
Questionnaire to Reconciliation
Australia. • EBA includes five annual paid cultural leave days for Aboriginal staff. • Internal RAP Working Group meets quarterly throughout the year to drive and monitor
RAP implementation. Invite external guest speakers where appropriate.
