The City of Greater Bendigo is seeking community feedback on its first Reconciliation Plan 2016-2019 as it prepares to develop a new plan for the next three years. Residents can have their say by filling out a survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/RAPcommunitysurvey2019) by Monday December 16, 2019.
City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Margaret O’Rourke said the Reconciliation Plan outlines the City’s commitment to reconciliation and to our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
“The current plan features a total of 93 actions that have been delivered across the City and many of these have been delivered in close partnership with the Traditional Owners and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members,” Cr O’Rourke said.
“We are now asking the community to take some time to have their say on the plan before we commence development of a new Reconciliation Plan.
“The City wants to understand the impact and effectiveness of the Reconciliation Plan over the past three years, its impact on supporting local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and its contribution to reconciliation across the organisation and the broader Greater Bendigo community.
“The feedback we receive via the survey will help inform the development of the City’s new plan so that we can continue to advance reconciliation within Greater Bendigo and also strengthen our relationships with our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
The survey closes on Monday December 16 and takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Some of the key initiatives delivered through the Reconciliation Plan 2016-2019 over the past three years include:
- Improved procurement processes to better support Aboriginal procurement and local businesses
- Increased employment opportunities, including traineeships and a full time First Nations Curator at the Bendigo Art Gallery
- Commenced delivery of Aboriginal Cultural Awareness training for City staff
- Delivery of annual NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week activities, including working with partners to deliver the inaugural Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival during Reconciliation Week
- Regular Aboriginal programming and arts performances offered at The Capital and Ulumbarra Theatre
- Supporting and working with the Dja Dja Wurrung Traditional Owners on land management projects
Residents who would prefer to fill out the survey on paper can contact Fiona Machin at the City of Greater Bendigo on email to [email protected] or by phoning 54346000.
