Our country is on a journey towards reconciliation – a journey that many of our members have started and that the Property Council is taking too. In recent weeks, the Property Council was lucky enough to have former Australian Rules footballer, businessman and advocate Adam Goodes help launch our own Reconciliation Action Plan.
At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between First Nations and non-Indigenous peoples for the benefit of all Australians.
The property industry approaches reconciliation with two great advantages, which also confer special responsibilities.
The first is that we represent an industry inescapably tied to the land. Every building and every new project sits on country that has been nurtured by First Nations peoples for thousands of years.
Secondly, our industry is Australia’s biggest employer, creating jobs for 1.4 million people. As we look to expand the economic opportunities for Indigenous people, the property industry can be a big part of the solution.
Reconciliation isn’t something we can rush. This is why we’ve invested time developing our first Reconciliation Action Plan. Our Reflect RAP outlines our commitment to engage with Indigenous people, gain support and advice from our strong network, forge new relationships with First Nations-owned businesses and provide education opportunities across our organisation and the industry.
As Adam said at our launch: a Reflect RAP is focused on listening, learning and exploring the ‘sweet spot’ where we can make the biggest impact.
As we listen, learn and explore that sweet spot, we aim to build our industry’s cultural competency so that together we can walk towards reconciliation in partnership with First Nations people.