We need your thoughts and ideas to update our Reconciliation Action Plan which will guide Council’s commitment to reconciliation in Wagga Wagga on Wiradyuri Ngurambang.

What is a RAP?

A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) provides a framework to demonstrate Council’s commitment to our Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations community members.

Wagga Wagga City Council is committed to reconciliation and developing meaningful relationships with our Wiradjuri and First Nations Peoples to ensure there is genuine respect and equitable opportunities.

How can I have my say?

The initial consultation has concluded on Friday 22 November 2024 at 5:00PM.

Feedback has been collated with the draft RAP currently being reviewed by Reconciliation Australia. Once conditional approval is provided, the draft document will be taken to Council for endorsement to go on Public Exhibition.

If you and your community group or organisation would like to provide feedback and suggestions for Council's RAP renewal, please reach out to the Community Development Team:

Community Development Team

P. 1300 292 442

E. first.nations@wagga.nsw.gov.au

The draft Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan has been informed by evaluating the work and achievements of the previous RAP, and consultation with the RAP Working Group, along with engagement with local Elders and wider community.

This engagement process included an online survey which garnered 29 responses with the Community Development Team also hosted a series of BBQ drop-ins at community hubs located in the Wagga Wagga urban areas of Kooringal, Tolland, and Ashmont engaging approximately 50 community members across all locations. Presentations and consultation opportunities were also delivered at a number of key local First Nations meetings and groups to seek insights and feedback, including Mawang Gaway, RivMed, Wagga Local Aboriginal Land Council, Wagga Wagga Aboriginal Interagency, and Aunty Jean’s Program.

Key feedback included:

• Strengthen communication and engagement opportunities between the First Nations community across all areas of Council
• More opportunities for First Nations cultural education and community connection, to support those in community who have been stripped of their culture, language and connections through generations of forced removal, institutional abuse and trauma.
• Increase distribution of information for existing Council service provision across the LGA using communication channels that are more accessible for the community, for example printed collateral made available at the community hubs.

The draft RAP actions have been reviewed by Council's RAP Working Group and these have now been re-submitted to Reconciliation Australia for review.

The accomplishments realised through the 2022-2024 RAP have received formal recognition from the Council, as well as acknowledgment from many local Elders and community members, serving as evidence of significant progress toward reconciliation and collaboration with the First Nations community. key achievements during this period include, but are not limited to:

• 25% increase in community attendance and programming for national dates of significance such as National Apology Day, National Sorry Day, National Reconciliation Week activities, and NAIDOC Week.
• Culturally informed and safe return of Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri objects that have been returned to Wagga Wagga and are currently being exhibited at the Museum of the Riverina’s Botanic Gardens site.
• The Roads and Suburbs Naming Policy (POL 047) was reviewed and endorsed to prioritise the naming of unnamed roads and locations within the Local Government Area with Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri names.
• Council’s First Nations People Employment & Retention Strategy was launched in December 2024.
• The Museum of the Riverina was successful in securing $50,000 from the Community Heritage grant funding from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment to research and record local Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri and First Nations oral histories. These oral histories have been produced as a podcast series and includes interviews with local families who were part of the resettlement scheme to Wagga Wagga from the early 1970s and 1980s. This podcast has now obtained 1 national and 1 state award.

A key challenge and ongoing barrier to meaningful collaboration is communication and engagement fatigue.

Council regularly reflects on this and has reviewed the way in which our teams seek services and advice across various projects. This means reviewing the frequency and number of First Nations advisory meetings, providing appropriate remuneration for cultural services, and ensuring that the agenda is led by First Nations community members and provide meaningful outcomes.

Wagga Wagga City Council is proud of the achievements and progress we have made toward reconciliation to date, however we recognise that there remains much work to be done, as reconciliation is an ongoing journey that requires our collective commitment and continued collaboration.