The City of Swan released its first Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2022 after the formal endorsement of Council and Reconciliation Australia.
According to the 2021 Census, the City had the highest population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Greater Perth area, with 5,301 people. This equates to 3.24 per cent of the City’s total population, which is significantly higher than the Greater Perth average of 2.0 per cent.
The City is home to nearly six per cent of all First Nations people in WA.
The RAP confirms the City’s ongoing commitment to working collaboratively with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It outlines the City’s vision for reconciliation and details 17 key actions designed to help our community realise that vision.
The City’s RAP progress is guided by an advisory group made up of Council Members, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, and non-Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community members.
The primary objectives of the advisory group are to:
- Make recommendations and agree on actions taken by the City in relation to its RAP
- Guide processes for engaging and consulting with the local community
- Provide ideas and feedback on RAP initiatives produced by an internal working group, Maali Boodja Kaartadjin
- Where practicable, work collaboratively with the City in carrying out selected actions to achieve its RAP goals.
Download the Reconciliation Action Plan
The RAP confirms the City’s ongoing commitment to working collaboratively with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
It outlines the City’s vision for reconciliation and details 17 key actions designed to help our community realise that vision.
The RAP includes 17 key actions that will help us work towards stronger community relationships, creating a culture of respect and empowering our organisation to improve work practices, promoting equity and opportunity for all.
Each action has a set of specific deliverable tasks with their own timeline.
Examples of some of the deliverables include improving consultation with First Nations communities, preparing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and retention strategy, developing cultural and naming protocols, and celebrating events of cultural significance. The specific deliverables for each action, and their timelines for completion, are available in the full RAP document.
The City will demonstrate accountability for our actions by tracking and reporting progress. Progress for the period to 30 June 2023, was published in the City’s Annual Report on page 96. The RAP is for the period March 2022-2024, after which we will continue our reconciliation journey by developing our next RAP.
At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples for the benefit of all Australians.
“… A reconciled Australia is one where our rights as First Australians are not just respected but championed in all the places that matter …” Kirstie Parker – Board Member, Reconciliation Australia
Reconciliation is an ongoing journey that reminds us that while generations of Australians have fought hard for meaningful change, future gains are likely to take just as much, if not more, effort.
In a just, equitable and reconciled Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children will have the same life chances and choices as non-Indigenous children, and the length and quality of a person’s life will not be determined by their racial background.
A RAP is a strategic document that supports an organisation’s business plan. It includes practical actions that will drive an organisation’s contribution to reconciliation both internally and in the communities in which it operates.
Organisations across Australia have their own RAP, including schools, government organisations and private businesses.
Together, they deliver tangible and sustained benefits for a reconciled future.