Our reconciliation achievements

The bushfires, floods and COVID-19 put a pause on the delivery of our Transport Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) frameworks and strategies. That doesn’t mean we haven’t made some great headway across Transport.

Here’s what we’ve achieved:

Buses to Bourke
The Buses to Bourke program repurposes retired State Transit buses to help people get to work in regional NSW. So far, 150 people have obtained employment through this program.

Woolgoolga to Ballina Songlines
The Woolgoolga to Ballina is Australia’s largest regional infrastructure project and follows a number of traditional Songlines - the trade routes and ceremonial paths of Gumbaynggirr, Yaegl and Bundjalung Nations.

The Art Trail is a vision that tells the stories of the Songlines and creation stories by local Aboriginal artists. The artworks will be planned for 13 locations, including rest areas and bridge safety screens between Woolgoolga and Ballina.

We’re now working with the local Aboriginal artists to tell their stories.

Bark Canoe Project
A creative way of engaging Aboriginal people in conversations about boating safety, through a collaborative effort to construct traditional bark canoes at Rozelle, Ballina and Wollongong.

This innovative project was delivered by our Aboriginal Engagement Team, Maritime and Corporate Communications.

Increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment
Over the last three years, we’ve increased Aboriginal representation by 22% across the Transport cluster. We’ve done this by consulting with Aboriginal Employment Agencies, to target and identify recruitment opportunities.

We’re also supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with career pathways, through our NSW HSC Scholarship Program. Our scholarship program builds relationships with students in years 11 and 12, provides access to financial assistance, and practical work experience that aligns to their career aspirations.

Since 2015, our 24-month Aboriginal VET Cadet program has supported 56 participants to complete both on the job development and a formal qualification. This program is designed to provide participants with the right capabilities and experiences to have a successful career in the Transport Cluster. At the moment, we’re in the process of recruiting an additional 10 Cadets for 2020.

Acknowledgement of Stolen Generations
Later this year, memorial plaques will be installed at train stations identified by the Stolen Generations Organisations (SGOs) as sites of importance to them including Cootamundra, Bomaderry, Parramatta, Wagga Wagga, Mittagong, Yass and Berry.

There are also plans to tell the SGOs’ stories in the waiting room refurbishment on Platform 1, and a statue will be commissioned and erected at Central station.

Next steps on our RAP journey
We’re now transitioning into the Transport-wide implementation phase of our RAP. This phase will establish the RAP frameworks and strategies to ensure all areas across Transport have a united approach to delivering our commitments.

Further details and updates about our RAP journey will be shared via the news section on the Aboriginal Cultural Education Hub.