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Placemaking

Community engagement

Building strong, respectful relationships with Aboriginal people and organisations builds cultural understanding, empowerment, and fosters trust, understanding, and collaboration.

Investing in building relationships provides opportunities to identify and progress shared goals and outcomes.

 

By investing in these relationships, Local Governments can empower communities, recognise shared histories, and identify common goals that lead to more inclusive and effective engagement.

 

Identifying Aboriginal organisations

When starting out it can feel challenging to know who to connect within your local community, however many Local Governments have built strong and proactive relationships with local Traditional Owners and Aboriginal people.

We recommend you consider:

  • Use the map feature to determine the Traditional Country you are on and see if there are any Native Title or Land Use Agreements determinations
  • Reach out to your PBC if there are any determinations
  • Research to find out other Aboriginal organisations located within your local government, including checking the ORIC register (noting this is not a definitive list)

There is also this handy checklist from NSW government that you can review.

 

Culturally sensitive engagement

Engagement and collaboration with Aboriginal people requires investment in building a relationship and at times a tailored approach. As with all engagements; respect, transparency and accountability are important foundations. Ways to develop and sustain a relationship with Aboriginal parties may include:

  • Extending an invitation to meet and develop a respectful relationship
  • Face to face discussions
  • Offering a travel allowance or bursary as an acknowledgment of the value of their time and sharing of cultural knowledge
  • Establishing an Aboriginal Advisory Group , and empower this group to reach out to Aboriginal organisations on your behalf
  • Collaborating with  other Local Governments that share the same Traditional Land Owners
  • Local Government representation at local Aboriginal events, and where appropriate support and participate in activities

 

 

 

Available support

Reconciliation WA can offer support in identifying and connecting with Aboriginal people and organisations within your region.

The Reconciliation WA Respect Rising program, provides an informal yarning format for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to connect, listen and share their stories of reconciliation and the vision for walking forward together.

Another example of a place-based reconciliation engagement is the Place-based Reconciliation Pilot in the Great Southern, which was a partnership between Reconciliation Australia and Reconciliation WA. The pilot aimed to co-design a reconciliation framework that would support the self-determination of the Goreng, Ganeang, and Minang Noongar peoples.

 

Case studies

Town of Port Hedland

In South Hedland, a Youth Changemaking Program has empowered local Aboriginal youth to make a difference in their community while enhancing their sense of belonging and pride.

Reconciliation WA

Kolbang Yanginy artwork was a collaborative partnership between the Artists, Purple and Reconciliation WA.

City of Swan

The Place Names Maali project and a new interactive online mapping tool are being led by Landgate in collaboration with the City of Swan.

Town of Cambridge

In July 2024, community feedback led the Town of Cambridge to commit to renaming Lake Monger to Galup over a five-year transition period.

City of Fremantle

Contemporary artwork in Walyalup Koort to provide strong connection to Noongar country.

City of Kwinana

Shaping the future of Kwinana through the Boola Maara Consultative Committee.

City of Albany

Australia’s largest dual naming project revives Menang culture and connection.

 

Links and resources

Respect Rising Program
Empowered Communities Initiative
Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations
Council of Aboriginal Services Western Australia (CASWA)
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)

Placemaking

Placemaking is a collaborative process through which communities work together to shape the physical, social, and cultural character of public spaces.

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