To enable this, the transport portfolio has committed to engaging as one with Aboriginal Victorians on the breadth of Victorian transport activities to reduce the consultative burden, enable more informed decision making to occur and enhance outcomes through leveraging the portfolio – its projects, operations, budgets and expertise - as a whole.
Through this new model of engagement regional chapters or action plans will be drafted at the local level capturing self determined activities that leverage the portfolio to deliver on the unique needs and aspirations of Aboriginal communities.
Regional chapters will be attachments to this plan, promoted on transport portfolio websites, and will be monitored, updated and reported on regularly. Each Regional chapter will adopt the overarching actions within this plan as standard actions, with transport regions to then establish with Aboriginal stakeholders at the local level the best way to deliver them. Regional chapters will be designed to demonstrate direct links back to VAAF goals, domains and enablers.
An invitation to co-design partnerships with Registered Aboriginal Parties will also be extended and (where appropriate) established, creating a mechanism for more strategic conversations to occur between the portfolio and these critical stakeholders.
This plan has been led by the Transport Aboriginal Self-Determination Steering Committee, comprised of senior executives and staff from across the transport portfolio. The steering committee membership includes senior Aboriginal staff from within the portfolio. Engagement with the portfolio’s Aboriginal Staff Network, infrastructure directors and operational leads has also supported development of the plan.
In progressing this, the portfolio will actively seek to collaborate with other state agencies, local councils and Regional Partnerships to further enhance outcomes.
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