Aboriginal culture and communities
We recognise the unique, diverse and enduring cultures of First Nations peoples in NSW and their strong, ongoing social, spiritual and cultural connection with their traditional lands and waters. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, and pay respect to Elders past, present and future.
First Nations peoples have practised sustainable natural resource management to care for flora, fauna and biodiversity for thousands of years. At Local Land Services, we support Aboriginal people to care for Country, share traditional land management and ecological knowledge, and help protect and strengthen Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Working with the Aboriginal community
NSW is made up of many Aboriginal nations who have an ongoing responsibility to respect and protect their culture. For Local Land Services, Aboriginal communities are identified as key customers, and we are responsible for:
- communicating, consulting and engaging with the Aboriginal community
- including the Aboriginal community in the delivery of land services across NSW.
Our State Strategic Plan outlines a management strategy that delivers services that support Aboriginal people to care for Country and share traditional land management and ecological knowledge.
As of 2023, approximately 6% of Local Land Services staff identify as Aboriginal, and we work in partnership with both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to deliver our services.
Aboriginal Engagement Strategy
Local Land Services has a vision for vibrant communities in productive, healthy landscapes. We believe that meaningful engagement with Aboriginal people is a key part of achieving this vision. As an organisation responsible for engaging local communities in landscape management, we believe this creates unique opportunities for Local Land Services to work and walk together with Aboriginal people and other Australians.
Our Aboriginal Engagement Strategy PDF, 1343.28 KB articulates the model for engagement, partnership and opportunities for co-design between Aboriginal people and communities and Local Land Services and is designed to provide an action-oriented approach to enrich relationships, create opportunities and enhance respect for Aboriginal peoples and communities. This strategy replaces our original Innovate Reconciliation Plan.
Reconciliation Statement
Our Board has a Reconciliation Statement PDF, 1329.07 KB which clearly communicates our intent to improve reconciliation within Local Land Services.
Local Land Services commits to walking together with the traditional custodians of this land, Australia’s First Nations peoples on the path to reconciliation.
In the true spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the consequences of past actions, and the impact of these on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
First Nations people have a strong social, spiritual and cultural connection with Country and have made use of complex systems of traditional land management for many thousands of years.
At Local Land Services, we recognise the unique, diverse and enduring cultures of our First Nations peoples have enriched our lives and we will continue to provide our staff with opportunities to learn about these important aspects of Australia’s past, present and future.
We also recognise the potential of the lands in our care and genuine collaboration with First Nations peoples to educate non-Indigenous Australians about Aboriginal culture and heritage and traditional land management in the modern context.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan will be a solid foundation for the ongoing work of our staff and our key stakeholders to advance our strategic commitment to “Deliver services that support Aboriginal people to care for Country and share traditional land management knowledge”
Aboriginal cultural heritage resources
Find out more how we are working with the Aboriginal community to improve our natural and cultural resources.