Statement of Commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reconciliation

In the spirit of reconciliation and self-determination, this Statement of Commitment is our pledge to work in partnership with Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations and the Traditional Custodians of the Lands where we provide services – the Wadawurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Djab
Wurrung, Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk peoples – to support the Korin Korin Balit-Djak vision for self-determining, healthy and safe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities in Victoria.

Ballarat Community Health acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the First Peoples of this vast country. In doing so, we express our deep regret at the dispossession of and ongoing injustices inflicted upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and state our sincere hope for a genuine and shared national identity in the near future. First Nations cultural practices have sustained this country for tens of thousands of years and we both recognise and value the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We also believe that constitutional reform, including recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the Land and Waterways now known as Australia, is a critical step in this country’s journey towards reconciliation. As such, we strongly support the three key pillars of the Uluru Statement from the Heart – a constitutionally enshrined and appropriately resourced First Peoples Voice to Parliament, Truth-telling, and Treaty.

Ballarat Community Health is committed to:
• Actively working towards reconciliation through implementation of our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan October 2022 to October 2024
• Strengthening relationships by working with and being open, transparent, and accountable to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and community-led organisations, demonstrating the value we place on self-determination
• Developing relationships with and connections to community to foster local decision making and codesign
• Improving the cultural safety and responsiveness of our services, using a strengths-based approach
• Valuing the perspectives of and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in our workplace, providing career pathways and professional development
• Creating economic benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned businesses offering goods and services through prioritising our procurement activities
• Challenging inequities in our policies and practices, and
• Celebrating and drawing upon the diversity that exists within Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities in our region.