Lachlan Shire Council Aboriginal Consultative Committee

Values Framework and Committee Purpose

Lachlan Shire Council acknowledges the Wiradjuri People, the traditional owners of the land the Shire covers and recognises their care for this land over many generations.

The 2016 Census data indicates that almost 17% of the Lachlan Shire residents identified as Aboriginal / Torres Strait Islander.

The purpose of establishing an Aboriginal Consultative Committee for the Shire is to:

• Give the Lachlan Shire Aboriginal community a voice in Council
• Provide advice, direction and recommendations to Council on projects, programs, policy and other initiatives relevant to local Aboriginal people.
• Provide advice on how Council’s services are developed and delivered so they are culturally inclusive, sensitive, appropriate and accessible to local Aboriginal people.
• Provide Council with community links and greater access to the broader Aboriginal Community in the Shire.

The establishment of the Aboriginal Consultative Committee links to Council’s Community Strategic Plan:

Strategic Outcome 1.1 Connecting with our Aboriginal Communities;

Strategic Outcome 4.1 Involved and active community groups; and

One of Council’s specific goals as identified in the 2020/2021 Delivery Operational Plan is:

• Consult with the Aboriginal Advisory Committee to identify priority issues. 

The Lachlan Shire Council Aboriginal Consultative Committee will work within a framework incorporating the following values and principles

• Fairness
• Respect
• Trust
• Transparency
• Honesty
• Accountability
• Equality
• Access and Equity 

The Committee will be resourced by Council’s Corporate and Community Services stream. Resourcing will include all secretarial responsibilities, venue provision and catering. The committee’s membership will comprise:

The Aboriginal Advisory Committee will consist of 9 voting members and 2 Observers who will be non-voting.

• Seven community representatives who identify as Aboriginal. These representatives must either live, work, study or have cultural links to the Lachlan Shire Council area. Four members shall be from Aboriginal organisations and three from the general community.
• Two Lachlan Shire Council Councillors as nominated annually by Council

2 Observers: Non-voting members

• Lachlan Shire Council’s Communication and Community Engagement Officer
• Lachlan Shire Council’s Director of Corporate and Community Services

Three representatives will be chosen from Murrin Bridge/Lake Cargelligo communities, three from Condobolin area community and one from the Tottenham area.

For the Murrin Bridge/Lake Cargelligo community, two members shall be from Aboriginal organisations and one from the general community.

From the Condobolin area community, two members shall be from Aboriginal organisations and one from the general community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meetings will be conducted four times a year. The meetings will alternate between Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo.

 

The Condobolin meetings will be held at the Condobolin Council Chambers and broadcast by Zoom.  Murrin Bridge/Lake Cargelligo members can go to Council’s Lake Cargelligo office if they are unable to access zoom at their business/home.

The Murrin Bridge/Lake Cargelligo meetings will be held at Council’s Lake Cargelligo office and broadcast by Zoom. Condobolin members can go to Council’s Condobolin office council chambers if they are unable to access zoom at their business/home.

The Committee will be chaired by one of the Aboriginal community representatives who, along with a Deputy Chair, will be elected by the Committee’s nine voting committee members at the Committee’s inaugural meeting.

 

Membership will be for a two year term and is voluntary. There are no paid positions and there is no payment for meeting fees or travel.

 

Members are expected to attend at least 75 per cent of the minimum number of proposed meetings.

Council will undertake a formal assessment process for the “Expressions of Interest” received for membership to the Committee. The desired outcome of the community representatives selected will be that the diversity within the Aboriginal community is represented. This includes gender, age, areas of interest, capacity to provide meaningful connections with the broader Aboriginal community in the Shire – and their commitment to work within the committee’s values and principles.

Council makes a commitment to work with the Committee with clear and open communication lines and with cultural sensitivity and cultural safety being paramount to the collaboration.

In keeping with these values and principles, Council will provide the Committee with a draft Terms of Reference Framework to be finalised by the Committee at its inaugural meeting