Greater Western Water respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters upon which we work and operate.
We pay our deepest respects to their Ancestors and Elders past and present.
We acknowledge the continued cultural, social and spiritual connections that First Nations peoples have with the lands and waters, and we recognise and value that the Traditional Owner groups have cared for and protected them for thousands of generations.
We will develop our partnership with Traditional Owner groups to ensure their contribution to the future of the water management landscape, and to maintain their cultural and spiritual connection.
We operate on the lands of the Kulin. This represents five nations:
Bunurong/Boon Wurrung
Djaara/Dja Dja Wurrung
Taungurung
Wadawurrung
Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung.
Reconciliation
Our vision for reconciliation is a nation that celebrates and protects the ongoing cultural and spiritual connections of First Nations peoples to the surrounding lands and waters.
We aim to engage meaningfully and respectfully with Traditional Owners and value their knowledge and histories.
In 2023, we launched our first Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), outlining our commitment to building strong relationships, deepening cultural understanding and creating meaningful opportunities for First Nations communities.
We’ve made significant progress since then, and we are now delivering our second Innovate RAP, building on this momentum to further strengthen partnerships and embed reconciliation across our organisation.
Through everyday action and partnerships with First Nations communities and Traditional Owners, we're embedding reconciliation into how we work and care for Country.
Reconciliation is central to who we are at Greater Western Water. It's not a project or moment in time. It's a commitment we make every day. We work every day on Country and we know that caring for water is deeply connected to caring for culture, community, and the places we all share. Our second Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan builds on the progress of our first. It strengthens the way we work with Traditional Owners and First Nations communities. It sets out how we'll continue this work through meaningful action, including expanding employment pathways, building a more inclusive workplace, and strengthening opportunities for First Nations businesses and communities to thrive. It's been about working alongside Traditional Owners and bringing them on the journey and challenging the way that we have done things and we do things in water management.
As a project manager, decisions we make impact how we plan and deliver projects. So embedding that cultural knowledge into projects early leads to better outcomes for Country, Greater Western Water and strengthens relationships with Traditional Owners.
I've learnt that action is really important once you've done the ground work of educating yourself.
Action can even look like educating other people in your life like family and friends or colleagues.
There are a lot of confronting truths in our shared history, but avoiding them doesn't make them go away. Acknowledging them and truly listening is how we move forward. Reconciliation is not about guilt or blame. It's about truth, trust, and action. It's about continuing to show up even when the stories are hard to hear.
By continuing to show up and by working alongside First Nations peoples, we can create lasting change for country, community, and future generations.
Healing and caring for Country
Our vision for reconciliation underpins our GWW 2030 Strategy vision: Thriving people and Country and guides our focus on healing and caring for Country.
Country is a First Nations peoples understanding that includes the intricate interconnections and relationships between land, water, air, sky, people, animals and spirits to which they are connected and belong.
Country is an important concept that encompasses relationships and knowledge, and one we honour and embrace. We strive to deliver water services that will heal and care for Country.
We are committed to working in partnership with local Traditional Owners and First Nations peoples to share knowledge that shapes the future of water management while respecting and maintaining their cultural and spiritual connections to Country.
Here are some ways we’re doing this:
Providing Traditional Owners with a direct line of contact into GWW through our First Nations Partnerships Team Leader, who also advises the organisation on how our work relates to and impacts First Nations peoples.
Building our people’s knowledge through Acknowledgement of Country workshops and cultural safety training.
Increasing engagement with First Nations suppliers and businesses.
Collaborating with Traditional Owners on integrated water management to help maximise liveability, sustainability and resilience.
Working with First Nations peoples to develop policies for the future.
Seeking permission for our activities on traditional land through Welcome to Country ceremonies.
Working with cultural heritage advisors and Traditional Owner groups to recognise and preserve the cultural values of the sites we operate on.
