Bradfield Development Authority's First Nations outcomes

Aboriginal people have had a continuous connection with the Country in Western Sydney from time immemorial. They have cared for Country and lived in deep alignment with this important landscape, sharing and practicing culture while using it as a space for movement and trade.

We acknowledge that four groups have primary custodial care obligations for the area: Dharug or Darug, Dharawal or Tharawal, Gundungurra or Gundungara and Darkinjung. We also acknowledge others who have passed through this Country for trade and care purposes: Coastal Sydney people, Wiradjuri and Yuin.

The Bradfield Development Authority wishes to acknowledge Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of this land. Through thoughtful and collaborative partnerships and delivery, we seek to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to creating places in which Aboriginal people prosper socially, culturally and economically.

Western Sydney is home to the highest number of Aboriginal people in any region in Australia. Diverse, strong and connected Aboriginal communities have established their families in this area over generations, even if their connection to Country exists elsewhere.

We acknowledge the Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs) whose boundaries cover parts of Western Sydney, the Gandangara, Deerubbin, and Tharawal (LALCs), and that they have responsibilities to communities within this area and some have landholdings as well.

This offers an important opportunity for the future of the region.

Ensuring Aboriginal communities, culture and obligations for Country are respectfully considered and promoted will be vital for the future. A unique opportunity exists to establish a platform for 2-way knowledge sharing, to elevate Country and to learn from cultural practices that will create a truly unique and vibrant place for all.

Pre-2023: Getting started

Our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) formalises the commencement of our reconciliation journey.

This Reflect RAP guides meaningful action across our organisation to advance reconciliation, develop relationships, and realise economic, social, and cultural outcomes for First Nations people in the Western Sydney region.

Read or download the Reconciliation Action Plan: Reflect - January 2023 to July 2024 (PDF 6MB).

Our Reflect RAP is centred on the essential principles outlined by Reconciliation Australia - Relationships, Respect and Opportunities.

These principles form the themes of our actions and deliverables, and in turn will help us keep track of progress and achieve our goals as an organisation:

Relationships

1. Establish and strengthen mutually beneficial relationships with First Nations stakeholders, organisations and emerging advisory bodies, like the Indigenous Voice.

• Identify, document and share across the organisation First Nations stakeholders and organisations within Western Sydney relevant to our work - May 2023
• Research and share across the organisation best practice and principles that support partnerships with First Nations stakeholders and organisations - May 2023

2. Build relationships through celebrating National Reconciliation Week (NRW).

• Circulate Reconciliation Australia’s NRW resources and reconciliation materials to staff in the lead up to the engagement - May 2023
• RAP Working Group members to participate in an external NRW event and share their experiences with their teams - May 2023
• Encourage and support staff and senior leaders to participate in at least one external event to recognise and celebrate NRW and promote through social media - May 2023
• Hold an internal NRW event for staff - May 2023

3. Promote reconciliation through our sphere of influence.

• Communicate our commitment to reconciliation to all staff - March 2023
• Identify, document and share across the organisation information on external stakeholders that we can engage with on our reconciliation journey - May 2023
• Identify, document and share across the organisation RAPs and contacts in other like-minded organisations that we could approach to collaborate with on our reconciliation journey - March 2023
• Collaborate with other government agencies to identify and leverage synergies and opportunities to support First Nations people and communities in education and training, with a focus on improving outcomes - September 2023
• Utilise social media to promote our RAP and progress - July 2023

4. Promote positive race relations through anti-discrimination strategies.

• Research and share best practice and policies in areas of race relations and anti-discrimination with the Leadership Team - June 2023
• Review human resources policies and procedures to identify any anti-discrimination provisions, and future needs - June 2023
• 5. Build positive two-way learning relationships.
• Investigate formal or informal mentorship (and reverse mentorship) to connect First Nations staff and non-First Nations staff, starting with up to 6 senior staff over 12 months - July 2023

Respect

6. Increase understanding, value and recognition of First Nations cultures, histories, knowledge and rights through cultural learning.

• Develop a strategy to increase how we understand, value and recognise First Nations cultures, histories, knowledge and rights in the Western Parkland City - June 2023
• Develop and share an understanding of Aboriginal economic activities, past and present, in the Western Parkland City, such as farming, trading, manufacturing, to link with our work and foster appreciation of local Aboriginal legacy we continue to build on - December 2023
• Review cultural learning needs within our organisation as part of our business planning processes - June 2023
• Develop organisation-specific Cultural Competency collateral for new starters and encourage continued learning and growth - December 2023
• Provide relevant local or technical contextualised cultural content through interactive face-to-face or online training for all staff - June 2023

7. Demonstrate respect to First Nations peoples by observing cultural protocols.

• Develop and share an understanding of the local Traditional Owners or Custodians of the lands and waters within the Western Parkland City with all staff - September 2023
• Increase staff’s understanding of the purpose and significance behind cultural protocols, including Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country - July 2023

8. Build respect for First Nations cultures and histories by celebrating NAIDOC Week.

• Raise awareness and share information among staff about NAIDOC Week - July 2023
• Introduce staff to NAIDOC Week by promoting external events in our local area - July 2023
• RAP Working Group to participate in an external NAIDOC Week event - July 2023

9. Demonstrate respect to First Nations peoples through our planning and design work.

• Utilise connecting and designing with Country principles to respect the cultural landscape, Aboriginal community’s connection to Country and Aboriginal culture of the lands on which Bradfield City Centre will be built - December 2023
• Develop a Bradfield City Centre naming strategy that considers Aboriginal place names for features throughout the city centre and is used to name the First Building in Bradfield - July 2023
• Embed and elevate connecting with Country principles into the
  Master Plan for Bradfield City Centre, including for public areas and community facilities - August 2023
• Investigate opportunities to work and partner with local First Nations businesses and programs for public art projects - December 2023

Opportunities

10. Increase First Nations recruitment, retention and professional development.

• Develop a strategy for First Nations employment within our organisation - June 2023
• Build understanding of First Nations staffing to inform future employment and professional development opportunities - June 2023
• Investigate First Nations cadetship, internship or traineeship programs - June 2023
• Investigate the potential for a secondee from Aboriginal Affairs NSW or NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce to the Western Sydney City Deal Delivery Office, to join Australian Government and local government council secondees - September 2023

11. Increase First Nations supplier diversity.

• Develop a First Nations-owned businesses procurement strategy - May 2023
• Investigate Supply Nation membership - May 2023
• Use the Aboriginal Procurement Policy to encourage the procurement of goods and services from local First Nations businesses - May 2023
• Introduce a policy whereby at least one suitable First Nations company is included in a competitive tender - May 2023
• Review the Supply Nation catalogue for appropriate suppliers to meet a planned procurement - May 2023
• Investigate Yarpa – NSW Indigenous Business and Employment Hub membership. yarpa.com.au - May 2023
• Investigate NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce membership. nswicc.com.au - May 2023
• Investigate using the Industry Capability Network to help us identify appropriate First Nations business suppliers - May 2023
• Require a positive scoring result for service providers with a First Nations workforce within the evaluation criteria of tender assessments - May 2023
• Use social media to connect with First Nations labour-hire companies and staff, that is Yarpa - September 2023

12. Engage with First Nations people and organisations to inform the New Education and Training Model (NETM).

• Investigate the potential for tailored First Nations micro-credentials or training cohorts to support First Nations learners - May 2023
• Identify and engage with First Nations businesses (particularly those in NETM priority industries) to identify potential micro-credentials that support the skill needs of First Nations businesses and peoples - December 2023
• Work with First Nations stakeholders to define culturally inclusive learning approaches - December 2023
• Work with First Nations stakeholders to share culturally inclusive learning approaches with the NETM Education and Training Providers Panel - December 2023
• Build culturally inclusive learning approaches into the formal NETM Request for Quote process to ensure education providers demonstrate how they will maximise First Nations engagement with NETM learning opportunities - December 2023

13. Collaborate with partner education facilities to investigate potential to increase economic opportunity for First Nations businesses.

• Investigate opportunities to support partner education facilities in their efforts to incorporate First Nations elements in curriculum such as native foods or Aboriginal land management on the site of the Bradfield City Centre - June 2023
• Investigate opportunities to support the local production of native foods on the site of the Bradfield City Centre - June 2023

14. Ensure opportunities for First Nations manufacturing businesses when planning and establishing Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) services.

• Identify First Nations-owned or managed manufacturing businesses, particularly in Western Sydney, through the planning phase of AMRF operations, with the intent to engage with these businesses and have their voice inform our work - September 2023
• Ensure any financial or technical support program that assists Western Sydney small to medium business enterprises to access AMRF services incorporates First Nations-owned or managed businesses - September 2023

15. Collaborate with First Nations people and organisations to improve sustainability.

• Investigate opportunities to work with First Nations stakeholders and businesses to help protect and enhance biodiversity in Bradfield City Centre, including through seed collection programs - May 2023
• Investigate opportunities to work and partner with local First Nations businesses and programs to meet carbon offsetting requirements - May 2023

Governance

16. Maintain an effective RAP Working Group.

• Review membership of the working group to enable the group to govern RAP implementation - March 2023
• Review terms of reference for the working group - March 2023
• Ensure continued First Nations representation on the working group - March 2023

17. Provide appropriate support for effective implementation of RAP commitments.

• Define resource needs for RAP implementation - May 2023
• Engage senior leaders in the achievement of RAP commitments - March 2023
• Define appropriate systems and capability to track, measure and report on RAP commitments - March 2023

18. Build accountability and transparency through reporting RAP achievements, challenges and learnings internally and externally.

• Complete and submit the annual RAP Impact Measurement Questionnaire to Reconciliation Australia - 30 September 2023

19. Continue our reconciliation journey by developing our next RAP.

• Register via Reconciliation Australia’s website to begin developing our next RAP - April 2024

Under the Policy, Aboriginal businesses must be recognised as an Aboriginal business by a suitable organisation, such as Supply Nation or the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce.

If you own an Aboriginal business and are recognised by either of these bodies, we encourage you to register for opportunities to supply to government.

We advertise most government opportunities on Opportunities Hub.

All businesses where total engagement exceeds the GIPA disclosure threshold of $150,000 must be registered on the buy NSW Supplier Hub. This is how staff search for accredited suppliers

Once you sign up as a supplier, you can respond to advertised tenders or apply to join relevant schemes.

While being on a scheme isn't required to supply on procurements up to $250,000, it will increase the visibility of your business to buyers.

When you're accepted on a scheme, you may be invited to quote for specific opportunities that fit your company’s profile.

In addition, the Authority has made commitments under the Sustainability and Resilience Strategy (PDF 11.33MB) which features the same targets as the NSW Aboriginal Procurement Policy.