Reconciliation Australia Endorses City’s RAP

The City of Stirling’s Reconciliation Action Plan 2021-23 endorsed by Council earlier this year has been approved by Reconciliation Australia, the national body for reconciliation in the nation.
 
The Innovate RAP – the City’s third plan – includes 19 actions within four key areas: relationships, respect, opportunities and governance. Some of the deliverables include:

• Develop and implement an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander procurement strategy
• Direct a minimum of 25 per cent of the City’s annual acquisitions budget to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art within our collection
• Display signage that showcases Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ histories and cultures in public spaces of cultural significance as well as Acknowledgement of Country signage in all City of Stirling owned or managed public buildings
• Elders to meet with the Mayor and CEO annually for a ‘Birdiya to Birdiya’ (Boss to Boss) meeting
• Incorporate Nyoongar language and/or artwork into the City’s proposed new entry signage
• Establish a number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traineeships at the City of Stirling
• Rename City of Stirling Administration Building meeting rooms to Nyoongar names in consultation with Traditional Owners to embed cultural awareness across the organisation.
• Facilitate Mooro Country Tours for our community to learn about culturally significant sites within the City of Stirling 

Reconciliation Australia Chief Executive Officer Karen Mundine congratulated the City in a statement included in the City’s final RAP publication.
 
“Reconciliation Australia commends City of Stirling on the formal endorsement of its third Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP),” she said.
 
“The City of Stirling continues to be part of a strong network of more than 1,100 corporate, government, and not-for-profit organisations that have taken goodwill and transformed it into action.
 
“This Innovate RAP is an opportunity for the City of Stirling to strengthen relationships, gain crucial experience, and nurture connections that will become the lifeblood of its future RAP commitments. By enabling and empowering staff to contribute to this process, City of Stirling will ensure shared and cooperative success in the long-term.
 
“Congratulations City of Stirling on your third Innovate RAP and I look forward to following your ongoing reconciliation journey.”
 
Mayor Mark Irwin said that he welcomed the constructive and supportive approach taken by Reconciliation Australia, which promotes and facilitates reconciliation by building relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
 
“On behalf of the City of Stirling, I welcome the approval statement by Reconciliation Australia Chief Executive Officer Karen Mundine,” he said.
 
“I am eager for the City to make significant and meaningful progress in the areas of employment, procurement and better employee cultural awareness.
 
“We adopted our first RAP in 2014, our second in 2018 and most recently, our third in May 2021. Some of the highlights have included embedding acknowledgement of the Traditional Landowners across the organisation, employing Aboriginal Engagement and Aboriginal Youth Development Officers as permanent staff, and becoming one of the first local governments in WA to enter a formal agreement with an Aboriginal-led community organisation – Wadjak Northside Aboriginal Community Group (WNACG).
 
“As evidence of our continued commitment to achieving these goals, at the August Council Meeting the City of Stirling adopted a new Meeting Procedures Local Law with the Acknowledgement of Country embedded in the law.
 
“As we continue to listen with our heads and our hearts, we will continue to put ourselves in the best place to make pragmatic decisions and improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the City.”
 
Underpinning the City’s engagement, the sector-leading partnership agreement with WNACG was hailed by the organisation’s Chairperson Gordon Cole at the time of its launch as a great precedent for how local government can work with local First Nations community groups (read the media release).
 
The City of Stirling is also pleased to announce the new RAP Working Group, who will meet quarterly to oversee implementation of the RAP and provide guidance to the City on important issues as they arise.
 
Elder and community representation includes:

• Ian Clinch, Chair of the Wadjak Northside Aboriginal Community Group
• Len Yarran, Founder of the Wadjak Northside Aboriginal Community Group
• Oriel Green OAM
• Pam Yarran
• Denise Clinch
• Dianne Pereira
• Joanne Henderson
• Tricia Flynn-Scrutton
• Sonya Stephen (new member – first time having a member with a Torres Strait Islander background)
• Ashara Wills (new member)
• Jye Collins (new member)
• Kaye Liddlelow (new member)
• Sue Reid (new member – Aboriginal Affairs Division, WA Police)

City of Stirling representation includes:

• Michael Quirk, Director Community Development (City’s nominated RAP Champion)
• Chris Brereton, Manager Community Services
• Jamie Blanchard, Manager Governance
• Ben Rose, Service Lead Cultural Diversity and Community
• Sarah Cairns, Strengthening Communities Team Leader
• Anne Garlett, Aboriginal Engagement Officer
• Ben McGuire, Youth Development Officer – Aboriginal