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Bayside City Council Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan June 2022 – June 2024 Acknowledgment of Country Bayside City Council proudly acknowledges the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land, and we pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. Council acknowledges the Bunurong’s continuing relationship to the land and waterways and respects that their connection and spiritual identify is maintained through ancient ceremonies, songlines, dance, art and living culture. Council pays tribute to the invaluable contributions of the Bunurong and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders who have guided and continue to guide the work we do. About the Artist Bayside City Council has commissioned a local indigenous artist, Nakia Cadd , to develop artwork which will feature on the front cover and throughout the finalised Innovate RAP document. Nakia is a Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Bunitj, Boon Wurrung woman who grew up in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. Nakia’s work had strong design elements of line work that connect with her family lines and landscapes of her Countries. Her artwork is also inspired by her motherhood journey, family and country. She likes to use art opportunities and platforms to creatively honour and retell her family’s stories, that symbolise immense strength and resilience. About the Artwork Story: This artwork acknowledges the beautiful lands of which Bayside council is situated; on Bunurong country. It honours the significant landmarks, the bay and its many storyline’s. The shells aligned along the shore remain both present and strong, reflecting the history of the Bunurong people. The neutral and water tones reflect country and connection to place. The footprints embedded are those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, as well as non-Indigenous people walking together. The ‘U’ shapes represent the many people that make up the community.Table of Contents Message from the Mayor 2 Message from the Bunurong Land Council 3 Message from Reconciliation Australia 4 Our Bayside 6 Bayside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population 6 Our vision for Reconciliation 7 Background information 8 The strategic context 9 Our Business 13 Our Reconciliation Action Plan 14 Our Reconciliation Journey so far 15 What the community told us about why reconciliation is important 17 Reconciliation Action Plan Governance 18 How to Read the Action Plan 21 Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan June 2022–2024 22 Relationships 22 Respect 25 Opportunities 28 Governance 32 Please note: Throughout this document, the term ‘Indigenous’ may be used and is inclusive of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders have been consulted on the use of this term. Differences in interpretation of Bayside cultural heritage exists. The content contained in this document does not wish to confirm one interpretation over another but aims to reference and consolidate existing information from a variety of sources.2 Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan June 2022 – June 2024 Message from the Mayor It is with great pride that I present the Reconciliation Action Plan Innovate 2022 – 2024 for the City of Bayside. I would like to acknowledge the Traditional The RAP has been developed to strengthen Custodians, our External Reconciliation Action Plan relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Advisory Committee representatives, members of Islander people and the general community. Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group, Commitments within the plan will allow Council to our Bayside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander be aspirational and innovative in establishing the people and our wider Community who have guided best approach to advancing reconciliation. the creation of this plan. Thank you for walking alongside Council as we build greater awareness It also focuses on developing and strengthening and understanding as an organisation in our shared relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait journey towards reconciliation. Islander peoples, engaging staff and stakeholders in reconciliation and developing and piloting innovative I recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander strategies to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples have walked these lands for more than Islander people. 60,000 years. I also know that Australian Aboriginal peoples are the oldest surviving culture in the We all now have an opportunity to strengthen world and acknowledge the distinctive relationship relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Bunurong People have with local land and waters, Strait Islander people and the general community including trees, hills and valleys, creeks and coast and to together create a culturally safe and of Bayside. thriving Bayside. Our Reconciliation Action Plan Innovate responds We will continue our journey where Indigenous to the clear expectations of our community through culture and heritage is respected and appreciated Our Council Plan and Our promise - “we promise by the Bayside community who will work together open and accountable civic leadership” and it aligns to create a better future for all Australians. with our Values and Behaviours; Respect each other, Own it,Work together and Find better ways. To achieve this we will continue to work closely with the Traditional Owners, our Aboriginal Community Bayside successfully completed a Reconciliation and the Wider Bayside community to build best Action Plan Reflect in 2019 and Innovate moves practice as we move toward Reconciliation for all. us towards stronger, more impactful action. We build on the existing foundations in our journey to reconciliation, through continued work, sponsorship Cr Alex del Porto and celebration of Australia’s First Peoples. Mayor, Bayside City CouncilBayside City Council 3 Message from the Bunurong Land Council The Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BLCAC) represents Bunurong people’s rights and interests and manages the statuary responsibilities of the Corporation. Bunurong people are once again recognized as Over 2000 generations of our people have been the rightful custodians of much of what is now here before us. Archaeological excavation within known as greater Melbourne. We pay our respects our country has already demonstrated about to and thank our ancestors and elders for their 30,000 years’ worth of occupation. words and stories of country as passed down These sites can show us how our ancestors through the families. interacted with their environment and how that Over the last 35,000 years Bunurong people have interaction changed over time. We regard all adopted to a range of significant changes within evidence of our people’s occupation as sacred. their country. Our stories of the bay flooding with All our country is highly significant, every square water, asteroid impacts near Cranbourne, Arthur’s inch, every rock, every leaf, every dune, and Seat once being an island, Volcanic activity in every artefact. the western suburbs, he great floods, fires and If we could attribute the cause of this blanket high earthquakes all speak of such events. significance rating of our country to any one thing, Around 10,000 years ago, before the Bay flooded it would be that in Melbourne especially, so much with water, the Birarung extended all the way out has been destroyed and lost as the city grew, to the heads and out via a large waterfall which and so quickly. covered the entire area in mist. If you lose enough of something, what little you This is how the river earns its early name “The River have left becomes so much more important. of Mist”. This part of the river, up to the point the Similarly, when someone passes, their earthly river became fresh water, was Bunurong country. possessions become more important to those they left behind. Bunurong people were amongst the first indigenous people in Victoria that were involved Every part of our country is of high significance in cross-cultural entanglements with European’s, to our people past and present. and though reduced to just a handful of individuals by the mid-1800’s, we are still here, and we continue to maintain our cultural obligations to care for the people, the flora and fauna, the lands and the waters within the Bunurong cultural landscape, which is alive with our stories.4 Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan June 2022 – June 2024 Message from Reconciliation Australia Reconciliation Australia commends Bayside City Council on the formal endorsement of its inaugural Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Commencing an Innovate RAP is a crucial and communities, but also empowering and enabling rewarding period in an organisation’s reconciliation staff to contribute to this process, as well. journey. It is a time to build strong foundations and With over 2.3 million people now either working relationships, ensuring sustainable, thoughtful, or studying in an organisation with a RAP, the and impactful RAP outcomes into the future. program’s potential for impact is greater than ever. Since 2006, RAPs have provided a framework Bayside City Council is part of a strong network of for organisations to leverage their structures and more than 1,100 corporate, government, and diverse spheres of influence to support the national not-for-profit organisations that have taken goodwill reconciliation movement. and intention, and transformed it into action. This Innovate RAP is both an opportunity and an Implementing an Innovate RAP signals Bayside invitation for Bayside City Council to expand its City Council’s readiness to develop and strengthen understanding of its core strengths and deepen relationships, engage staff and stakeholders in its relationship with its community, staff, reconciliation, and pilot innovative strategies to and stakeholders. ensure effective outcomes. By investigating and understanding the integral Getting these steps right will ensure the role it plays across its sphere of influence, Bayside sustainability of future RAPs and reconciliation City Council will create dynamic reconciliation initiatives, and provide meaningful impact toward outcomes, supported by and aligned with its Australia’s reconciliation journey. business objectives. Congratulations Bayside City Council on your An Innovate RAP is the time to strengthen and Innovate RAP and I look forward to following your develop the connections that form the lifeblood ongoing reconciliation journey. of all RAP commitments. The RAP program’s framework of relationships, respect, and opportunities emphasises not only the importance Karen Mundine of fostering consultation and collaboration with Chief Executive Officer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Reconciliation AustraliaBayside City Council 56 Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan June 2022 – June 2024 Our Bayside The area now known as Bayside located 16km south-east of Melbourne was originally inhabited by the Bunurong people of the Kulin nation. The coastal land from Brighton to Mordialloc is the traditional country of the Ngaruk William clan. The City of Bayside acknowledges the historical and cultural significance of the land particularly the 16km of coastline has to the Bunurong people who journeyed to their meeting places, connecting to country. Dendy Street Beach is known to be the site of inner Melbourne’s largest Aboriginal midden which was a popular fishing site for the Bunurong, where clans camped and cooked shellfish and other foods. There are two ochre pits sites located in Black Rock and in Sandringham in which were used by the Bunurong for dance, performance and ceremonies. The City of Bayside has worked with elders to create the Bayside Coastal Indigenous Trail which feature art installations and sculptures based on stories told by Boon Wurrung Elder, Carolyn Briggs. The City of Bayside is adjoined by the Cities of Port Phillip, Glen Eira and Kingston, and encompasses all or part of the suburbs of Beaumaris, Black Rock, Brighton, Brighton East, Cheltenham, Hampton, Hampton East, Highett and Sandringham. Renowned for its quality of life, Bayside is characterised by unique and appealing villages, sandy beaches, coastal environments, lush parklands, quality residential areas, a vibrant arts scene and a proud, indigenous history which is reflected in our Bunurong cultural heritage and significant sites. Bayside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population In the 2016 census, Bayside had a residential population of 106,862 with a total of 190 (0.2%) people who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. *We recognise that the census data may not accurately reflect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Bayside including because some people choose not to complete the census or to identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. However, it is safe to assume that the census data reflects the minimum number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Bayside. As a council, we are committed to making Bayside a diverse, healthy and liveable place for all.7 Bayside City Council Our vision for Reconciliation Indigenous cultures and heritage is respected and appreciated by the Bayside community who will work together to create a better future for all Australians. Bayside City Council: • Recognises that the Bunurong people are the Traditional Owners of the land that now comprises the City of Bayside; • Acknowledges that this land was colonised without the consent of the original inhabitants; • Recognises the distinctive relationship that Indigenous people have with local land and waters, including trees, hills and valleys, creeks and foreshore of Bayside; • Regrets past misunderstandings and injustices experienced by Australia’s Indigenous communities including the confiscation of traditional lands, and the implementation of policies which had the effect of extinguishing indigenous practices, language and culture; • Supports people of Australia working together for the development of a formal instrument of reconciliation; • Support Treaty and Yoo-rrook (truth-telling) Commission processes as vital to progressing reconciliation; • Acknowledges the right of the Indigenous people of Australia to live, subject to Australian law, according to their own values and customs and is committed to respecting indigenous sacred sites and significant places; • Acknowledges the value, significance, diversity and strength of Indigenous cultures to the heritage of all Australians, and is committed to working with Indigenous people to research local stories and sites of significance to Indigenous people, assisting them to record and present their histories; • Records its appreciation of the initiatives already undertaken by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in assisting Council and the community to understand and appreciate Indigenous heritage and culture; and • Commits to consultation on matters of mutual concern with representatives of the Bunurong people and any other legitimately constituted group representing indigenous culture and heritage.Next >