Our reconciliation journey
ANNE NIXON CO-CHAIR RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN COMMITTEE
Housing Choices Australia is committed to an equitable and safe society for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
And following the referendum, HCA recommitted to reconciliation: “ We will continue our work to benefit from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ deep cultural knowledge, wisdom and lived experience in addressing the severe housing disadvantage. We are committed to hearing, listening and working in partnership to achieve sustained and high-quality housing outcomes. ” The final endorsement of our Innovate RAP was received from Reconciliation Australia in April 2024 and we quickly moved to finalise our printed document, working with Ochre Dawn, a First Nations graphic design firm. Thank you again to Noongar artist and Housing Choices WA resident Leslie Pickett for our Innovate RAP artwork. Our Innovate RAP was proudly launched nationally on 29 May 2024 at an event held during National Reconciliation Week, concurrently across all Housing Choices sites, with enthusiastic sta participation.
We believe this can only be achieved in a spirit of reconciliation between First Nations’ people and non-Indigenous Australians. As a major provider of community housing, we see all too often the severe housing disadvantage that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience. Our reconciliation journey, which commenced with our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2021, represents our genuine commitment to achieving our vision: that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a safe, a ordable home and the opportunity to thrive. In the last year, we continued this journey with the development, endorsement and launch of our 2024 Innovate RAP. The year began with Housing Choices sta participating in NAIDOC week events: walks and marches, smoking ceremonies, flag raisings and workshops. The Innovate RAP content was finalised and fully supported by incoming CEO David Fisher, and the HCA Board. We began the process of working with Reconciliation Australia towards approval and endorsement of the final document.
A number of actions from our Innovate RAP have been progressed, including the updating of our paid parental leave policy to include the addition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kinship arrangements. Our cultural competency training program was reviewed and improved, based on the feedback and insights from stakeholders and employees, to foster a more inclusive and respectful work environment. HCA supported sta and residents ahead of The Voice referendum, providing information and resources. The HCA Board and senior executive released a formal statement supporting the Voice: “ We are proud to support the Voice to Parliament as a step toward achieving the three key elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart - Voice,
Treaty and Truth Telling. We encourage you to seek out
information about the Referendum on the Voice to Parliament to inform your own views and personal position on this issue. ”
| 35 Annual Report 2023-24
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