We completed 7 stages of research and consultation to develop the Strategy.
Stage 1: Review Council’s reconciliation initiatives
We reviewed the initiatives we have completed in the last 5 years. This gave us a good starting point to understand how we could add to and progress these actions further.
Stage 2: Understand the situation
We reviewed the relevant legislation, policies, plans and actions at:
- an international level
- a national level
- a state level.
We also reviewed 15 local governments' documents, including all councils in the Eastern Metropolitan Region.
Our review looked at:
- how each council structured their reconciliation documents
- the language each council used
- how each council worked with stakeholders
- each council’s focus areas for action.
This helped us understand what was already in place in Victoria and Australia to support reconciliation. It also helped us understand what local councils were doing on their reconciliation journey.
Other actions we took to understand the situation included:
- creating a demographic profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents in Boroondara using the 2016 Census
- reviewing the community consultation results from over 5,000 residents. This was a consultation we completed to help us develop the Boroondara Community Plan 2021–31. We looked at the results to find any topics or ideas residents may have raised about reconciliation.
Stage 3: Advice from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector
We met regularly with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (WWCHAC) and other key stakeholders in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector. This made sure that our Strategy was informed by feedback and advice from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Monthly meetings with Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders and staff helped us:
- get to know each other
- learn how to work together
- share ideas
- get advice and feedback about the consultation design and development of the Strategy.
We also received advice and mentoring from other key stakeholders at regular meetings, including:
- First Peoples – State Relations Group at the Department of Premier and Cabinet
- Inner Eastern Melbourne Area and Aboriginal Engagement at the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
This helped to make sure our approach is respectful, inclusive and strength-based.
Stage 4: Consultation and development of the Strategy
We worked with an Aboriginal consultant, Karen Milward, who is a Yorta Yorta woman. Karen gave us advice on how to do our consultations.
She also:
- analysed the data from the consultation sessions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and peoples
- ran workshops with our staff
- provided recommendations and feedback on the Strategy.
Stage 5: Consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders
We held 14 consultation sessions with 24 key stakeholders in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector. These sessions were run by Karen Milward. The consultation sessions allowed us to hear directly from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector and peoples. We heard about their aspirations for reconciliation in Boroondara and opportunities for action and collaboration. The information we gathered in these sessions helped us to develop the vision, themes, strategic objectives and focus areas for our Strategy.
Stage 6: Community and service provider surveys
The reconciliation process needs the non-Aboriginal community to work together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To include the views and ideas of the non-Aboriginal community, we ran a pulse check survey. This type of survey checks on community views at a certain point in time. From 8 July to 1 August 2021, 480 people completed the pulse check survey.
It gathered information about:
- why reconciliation in Boroondara is important
- ideas for how we might progress reconciliation locally
- the level of knowledge about the histories and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples in Australia and Boroondara.
We also ran an online survey between July and August 2021. This survey was for community groups and service providers in Boroondara, such as:
- arts groups
- religious groups
- educational institutions
- neighbourhood houses
- community groups.
The survey collected information from 26 organisations about activities already taking place to support reconciliation. It also helped us understand how interested community groups and service providers could work with us and other organisations to progress reconciliation.
Stage 7: Strategy development
Through consultations with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector, we collected information about:
- why progressing reconciliation in Boroondara is important
- the steps we can take to meaningfully contribute to reconciliation
- actions we can take for reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community.
The results from the consultations were in line with the results from the community pulse check survey, and the survey with service providers and community organisations. We used this feedback to develop the Strategy’s vision, themes, strategic goals, focus areas for action and our Implementation Plan.