Last night, Council approved the release of its draft Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) for public exhibition and community feedback.
The RAP is an important plan for Council that identifies ways to advance reconciliation through developing respectful relationships and creating meaningful opportunities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We undertake this process with Reconciliation Australia as the lead body for reconciliation in Australia.
Earlier this year, we asked our community for ideas on how we can build and strengthen relationships with our local First Nations community, businesses and organisations, and improve opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the Mornington Peninsula.
This included working closely with local Indigenous groups, such as Bunurong Land Council, First People’s Assembly, and the Willum Warrain Gathering Place, to capture the lived experiences and needs of our First Nations peoples.
Thanks to this input, we developed a draft Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2024-26.
This draft RAP outlines tangible actions and initiatives Mornington Peninsula Shire will take to contribute to reconciliation, both in the wider community and within the organisation. The development of this RAP will ensure the Shire meets and delivers on the following legislative requirements:
- Victorian Aboriginal and Local Government Strategy 2021-2026
- Aboriginal Affairs Framework 2018-2023.
- Local Government Act 2020
Some of these actions include:
- Establishing an Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, which will provide cultural advice and guidance to the Shire. This adds valuable lived experience advice to help Council in its decision making, as does a range of other existing advisory committees of Council including Peninsula Advisory Committee for Elders, Disability Advisory Committee and Triple A Housing Committee.
- Facilitating programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth to learn about and connect with culture.
- Improving employment outcomes by increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruitment, retention and professional development.
- A strengthened protocol for the acknowledgment of significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dates and of the passing of important Aboriginal people in our Flying of Flags policy.
- Consulting with the community on options for acknowledging the significance of 26 January and how our community would like to continue to celebrate it. The recommendation does not propose to change the date of Australia Day.
We now invite you to review our draft RAP 2024-26 and let us know your thoughts. Have we gotten it right? What do you like most about the draft RAP? Do you believe the actions in our draft RAP are achievable?
Once the consultation closes, we’ll finalise our RAP to ensure it meets the needs of our community. We will then present it to Reconciliation Australia and Council for final endorsement (acceptance).
How to provide your thoughts:
Community consultation is currently open and closes on 25 July 2024.
Online
Go to mornpen.vic.gov.au/rap2024-26 and take the online survey.
In writing
