Southern Cross Housing (SCH) is proud to announce the release of the organisations 2023-2024  Reconciliation Action Plan which outlines how SCH will play its part in closing the gap between First Nations people and their fellow Australians.  The SCH RAP has been prepared in collaboration with Reconciliation Australia, a Federal body that was set up in 2000 to build and promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

“This is an important step for us as an organisation to work with and create opportunities for First Nations peoples, promote processes and practices that are culturally safe, and play a part in advancing reconciliation in Australia. The SCH RAP provides SCH with a strategic framework to support the reconciliation movement, with actionable items across four areas: Relationships, Respect, Opportunities, and Governance” said Alex Pontello, Chief Executive Officer of Southern Cross Housing.

Reconciliation Australia CEO, Karen Mundine, said “This Reflect RAP enables Southern Cross Housing to deepen its understanding of its sphere of influence and the unique contribution it can make to lead progress across the five dimensions. Getting these first steps right will ensure the sustainability of future RAP’s and reconciliation initiatives and provide meaningful impact toward Australia’s reconciliation journey”.

SCH’s NSW Housing Manager, Shane Meijer said “SCH has set clear timelines, targets, and goals to hold itself accountable for the achievement of the actions under its RAP. It will be actively working with employees and engaging them throughout the journey to ensure that the benefits of this RAP are felt throughout the whole organisation and that all SCH staff are involved in bringing it to life”.

The RAP will be officially launched in Nowra on Wednesday 5th July, at the Shoalhaven NAIDOC Fun Day 2023.

A copy of SCH’s Reconciliation Action Plan can be downloaded from here.