AT the start of this year, Brighton Council agreed it should develop a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and staff began investigating what this process would involve, including undertaking training webinars on what, why and how.
A RAP moves an organisation beyond conducting Acknowledgements of Country and starts the process of integrating other actions and relationships that gets the organisation closer to the vision of reconciliation in Australia. Reconciliation Action Plans help organisations create a workplace culture that understands, values and respects the histories, cultures and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make up approximately 9.4 per cent of Brighton’s population in the municipal area compared to 4.6 per cent for Tasmania overall.
An eight-person working group has been formed including two elected members councillors Phil Owen and Tennille Murtagh and Council’s general manager James Dryburgh. The working group will hold regular meetings over coming months.

Discussions have begun with Tasmanian Aboriginal organisations including Kutalayna Health, to begin to understand the needs and general thoughts of the community. So far, the reaction has been very positive.
Continue reading “Clearer view of reconciliation”