Woollahra Council recognises the importance of working in partnership with local First Nations people, organisations and groups to identify opportunities to create a more equitable and inclusive community.
In 2023, we adopted our inaugural Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan to guide and drive our reconciliation efforts as a Council.
We are now progressing to the next stage of our reconciliation journey through the development of a draft Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, alongside Council's draft Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols and Guidelines.
Council’s draft Innovate RAP and draft Protocols and Guidelines were prepared in collaboration with Reconciliation Australia (RA), Council’s internal RAP Working Group and Council's local cultural advisors La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council (La Perouse LALC) and the Gujaga Foundation.
Earlier this year, endorsement was received from Reconciliation Australia for Council’s draft Innovate RAP and we are now seeking community feedback (see below) on the draft Innovate RAP and our draft Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols and Guidelines by Thursday 25 September 2025.
A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) outlines the practical actions Council will take to advance reconciliation as an organisation.
There are four phases to a Reconciliation Action Plan:
Reflect
Innovate
Stretch and
Elevate
These phases allow organisations to continuously develop their reconciliation commitments. Learn more on Reconciliation Australia’s webpage.Woollahra Council adopted its Reflect RAP in 2023.
The Innovate phase is an opportunity for Council to deepen its commitment to meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and to continue fostering respect for First Nations heritage, cultures, and knowledge.
Guided by Reconciliation Australia’s framework, our draft Innovate RAP focuses on four key pillars: Relationships, Respect, Opportunities and Governance.
The draft Innovate RAP sets out Council's vision and approach for the next two years. It reflects our commitment to cultural protocols that honour the Traditional Custodians of these lands and celebrates the living cultures of the Gadigal and Birrabirragal peoples. Furthermore, it seeks to enhance knowledge, awareness, and cultural capability across the organisation.
In support and in alignment with our draft Innovate RAP, we have recently reviewed and updated our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols and Guidelines.
These Protocols have been reviewed by our cultural advisors, the Gujaga Foundation and La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council in late 2024. We are now exhibiting the updated draft Protocols for community feedback.
This document guides both Woollahra Council and the wider community in better understanding key cultural protocols of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Cultural protocols are the customs, lores, and codes of behaviour that guide respectful interaction within a cultural group. Acknowledging and observing the cultural protocols of a community reflects genuine respect for its traditions, history, and diversity. It also affirms that the practices of other cultures are equally valid and deserving of recognition.
Next steps
Council will review
all submissions and, where appropriate, may amend the draft Innovate RAP and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols and Guidelines. The
final draft documents will then be considered at a future Council meeting for adoption.
Have your say
Share your feedback on both the draft Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan and draft Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols and Guidelines by completing the short form below. Feedback closes 11.59pm Thursday 25 September.
