Reconciliation Action Plan 2013/2014 - Townsville City Council ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Message from the CEO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprise 6.1 per cent of the Townsville population, a significant portion of our prosperous and vibrant city. We are committed to recognising, promoting and protecting the rights, interests and wellbeing of our region’s traditional owners – the Bindal and Wulgurukaba peoples. Since the late 1970s, Townsville as a city has been working towards improving the personal, social and cultural outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In that time, we have made important steps towards reconciliation; most notably, in the 1980s, we adopted more inclusive employment strategies. This resulted in the employment of a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officer, a first for local government in Queensland. In 2011, at the NAIDOC luncheon, I gave my personal commitment that Townsville City Council would draft and adopt a Reconciliation Action Plan. The resulting document seeks to formalise and further our city’s relationship with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and to build opportunities. We can do this by involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the planning and provision of our services and facilities. I trust that this Reconciliation Action Plan serves our city well by identifying priority areas and ultimately manifesting our goodwill as clear and meaningful actions. A better understanding is for the benefit of us all. Ray Burton CEO – Townsville City Council “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprise 6.1 per cent of the Townsville population...” 02 reconciliation action plan 2013/2014
1. Introduction A Reconciliation Action Plan provides the Townsville City Council with a documented framework, to ensure that issues and priorities which have been identified by the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community are addressed in a coordinated manner. The Reconciliation Action Plan 2013/14 is a reflection of those identified issues specific to the local Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The Reconciliation Action Plan 2013/14 specifies the vision of the Townsville City Council in relation to the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and includes a number of priority areas, goals, actions and initiatives. Through the implementation of the plan, Townsville City Council aims to: >> stimulate and strengthen relationships within the community >> respect and give recognition to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community >> ensure inclusion of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community >> provide clear direction for council’s Strategic Plans >> have local determination to accept change >> strengthen municipal leadership and good governance >> enhance cultural awareness across the whole of council, and >> recognise the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the community as a whole, to a secure a quality lifestyle and to provide input into relevant council issues. 1.1 Townsville Background and History Townsville was the name adopted by the Queensland Government when the township was surveyed in 1865 and declared a municipality in 1866 after an employee of Robert Towns named the location after him. The Thuringowa Division was formed soon after, under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. The new City of Townsville was formed in 2008, when the city councils of Townsville and Thuringowa were amalgamated. Our local government area covers 3,736 square kilometres (0.2 per cent of the total area of the State of Queensland). The Ross River flows from the foothills of the Hervey and Mount Stuart Ranges to its outlet in Cleveland Bay, where the Central Business District skyline is dominated by the distinctive Castle Hill and Magnetic Island which is just eight kilometres offshore. Townsville is the largest city in North Queensland, and one of the fastest growing cities in the state in terms of population. As at 30 June 2010, the Queensland Government’s estimated population of Townsville City residents was 185,768 people, or 4.1 per cent of the state’s population. Townsville’s population in 2031 is projected to be 270,500 people, and will account for 4.3 per cent of Queensland’s total population. 1.2 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population Traditional owners, the Bindal and Wulgurukaba peoples, are the first known people to have lived in the Townsville City area. Captain James Cook mentioned the region in 1770. reconciliation action plan 2013/2014 03
Page 1 and 2: Reconciliation Action Plan 2013/201
Page 3: Contents 1. Introduction 03 1.1 Tow
Page 7 and 8: 2. Our Vision “...the rights, int
Page 9 and 10: 4. Our Commitment “...work toward
Page 11 and 12: 6. Implementation of the Reconcilia
Page 13 and 14: 8. Priority Areas Townsville City C
Page 15 and 16: Strategy 3: Culturally appropriate
Page 17 and 18: 8.3 Opportunities Goal: To include
Page 19: 10. Acknowledgements The Townsville

Reconciliation Action Plan 2013/2014 - Townsville City Council ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?