Maitland on journey to healing in Reconciliation Week
To celebrate and commemorate Reconciliation Week, Maitland City Council is reaffirming its commitment to build a more collaborative and constructive relationship with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Council is on a journey to healing with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, engaging and building stronger mutual understanding and respect of culture, community wellbeing, and authentic reconciliation.
Based on that engagement, Council is developing its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) with Reconciliation Australia. A RAP is a formal statement of Council’s commitment to reconciliation and outlines the organisation’s actions to achieve that.
The Reflect stage is the first of a four staged approach under Reconciliation Australia’s framework, with Innovate, Stretch and Elevate to follow.
Group Manager Culture, Community and Recreation Judy Jaeger says developing and submitting the Reconciliation Action Plan are positive steps in the right direction on the journey to healing.
‘As a Council, we’re committed to listening to, learning from, and developing a better understanding with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and building a much more positive relationship,’ Ms Jaeger says.
‘It’s important that Council reaches out and works with the community to create impactful and enduring change. We can do that by cultivating trust enriching the partnerships between community and Council.’
‘The RAP is the first formal step in a longer journey of healing between Council and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and we’re looking forward to seeing the benefits for the whole community.’
David Reid, from Identity Connections Indigenous Corporation, has been working with Council to help foster more positive relationships between the organisation and community.
‘We’ve been talking to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and staff at Council to help bridge the understanding gap and work together for the good of the whole community,’ Mr Reid says.
‘The goal is to move forward on this journey together, listen to one another, and deeply understand how we can build strength and heal in a way that honours wisdom, experience, and knowledge in community and in this land.’
Continue to watch our social channels for more news on the progress of our Reconciliation Action Plan, and the steps we’re taking on our journey to healing with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.