Another step towards reconciliation

A future where First Nations knowledge is embedded in caring for country and water, and improving and enabling quality of life for our communities across the Lower Hunter region.

This is one of Hunter Water’s visions under its new Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), released today as part of NAIDOC Week 2022 celebrations.

The theme for NAIDOC Week – Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! – encourages us all to take decisive action to Close the Gap, a term that refers to the disadvantage First Nations peoples suffer when it comes to education, employment, health, and other social outcomes.

Hunter Water’s second RAP promises to listen and learn from our First Nations peoples and incorporate their knowledge into the way we provide water and wastewater services to the region.

The RAP aims to create meaningful change by offering employment, procurement and community engagement opportunities for First Nations peoples.

RAP Working Group member and Senior HR Business Partner – Inclusion and Diversity, Lisa Warren, said Hunter Water was ready to demonstrate how it would get up, stand up and show up through a number of initiatives relating to respect, relationships, and opportunities.

“We’re proud to be celebrating NAIDOC Week 2022 and recognising and celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“We started our reconciliation journey in 2019 when we launched our first RAP and began to meaningfully contribute.

“There have been some challenges over the past couple of years, but we’re pleased that we’ve been able to maintain our momentum and progress with numerous initiatives, which has led to the creation of our second RAP,” Ms Warren said.

Click here if you’d like to view the Innovate RAP or to read more about our commitment to reconciliation.