Urbis is proud to advise that its first ever Reconciliation Action Plan has been formally approved by Reconciliation Australia.
The 1991 Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody marked the start of the formal reconciliation process in Australia. The Royal Commission recommended that all political leaders and their parties recognise that reconciliation between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians must be achieved if ‘community division, discord and injustice to Indigenous Australians were to be avoided’.
Government and community at all levels have embraced reconciliation as a key value in our national wellbeing and the foundation for positive action to recognise and respect the special place, culture, rights and contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Urbis has a significant legacy of involvement with indigenous people and communities and we enjoy a very high standing as one of Australia’s leading consulting firms in indigenous matters, including land use planning, education, economic development and health. We are extremely proud of our reputation in this area, and we are seeking to continue to build on this in coming years. We recognise the critical importance of place and community to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and we are energised to bring our expertise to support improved outcomes in these areas.
In this context, Urbis has committed to the preparation of a Reconciliation Action Plan, which is a statement of commitments and actions within the Urbis sphere of influence contributing to reconciliation in Australia. The Urbis RAP represents both a sincere commitment of the firm to reconciliation and also satisfies a growing expectation for leading businesses to demonstrate meaningful effort in this important endeavour.
Click here to download the Urbis Reconciliation Action Plan 2016 – 2018
The preparation of the RAP has been made possible through the passionate and committed efforts of Yorta Yorta woman and consultant, Karen Milward, in conjunction with the Urbis RAP Working Group comprising: Karen Wright (Perth); Ashley Lane (Brisbane); Clinton Ostwald (Sydney); Linda Kurti (Sydney); Claire Grealy (Melbourne); Peter Small (Melbourne); and Harriette Keating (Melbourne). We sincerely thank them for their valuable contributions to date. I also wish to thank Urbis staff, of which nearly 100 participated in RAP workshops over the past 12 months.
Now, Urbis will work towards refreshing the RAP Working Group, and continue to implement the actions and initiatives contained in our RAP.
John Wynne
Managing Director & RAP Working Group Chair