Monday, November 11, 2024

Bayside councillor to join reconciliation advisory group

Bayside City Councillor, Fiona Stitfold, will join the city’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Advisory Group as Council’s representative.

The RAP Advisory Group was established in October 2019 following Council endorsing a formal commitment to reconciliation with Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Council has now voted to include a Council representative in the Group, who will be re-appointed annually. Eight community members were appointed to the committee for a three-year term.

Councillor Stitfold (pictured) said the changes would enable the RAP Advisory Group to have a greater impact in raising awareness and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture within our wider community.

“The Reconciliation Action Plan remains an essential step towards reconciliation with our First Nations communities,” she said.

“Bayside has already benefited greatly from the RAP Advisory Group’s input and these changes will ensure we can build on that work as we take further steps to reconciliation.

“I’m honoured to be appointed in this role and I’m committed to being an active listener during these important discussions.”

At its March meeting, the Council resolved to support a First Nations Voice to Parliament being enshrined in the constitution.

The vote follows Council’s unanimous support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart in August 2021 and commitment to acting locally via a Reconciliation Action Plan.

“A Voice to Parliament will give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities a route to help inform policy and legal decisions that impact their lives,” Council said in a statement.

“Bayside is supporting the Voice while also respecting everyone’s right to choose how to vote in the upcoming referendum.

“We recognise that there is not uniformity of opinion within the community in relation to the Voice and respect everyone’s right to make their own decision on the issue.

“Council will seek to play an educative role by sharing Australian Government information to assist our community to make informed decisions,” it said.

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