The ac.care community of staff, volunteers, board members and other contributors recognise we live and work on land that always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
We are honoured to provide services on the lands of the Boandik, Meintangk and Bindjali in the South East, Ngarrindjeri, Kaurna and Ramindjeri in the Murraylands and Fleurieu Peninsula, Peramangk in the Adelaide Hills and First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region, including the Meru language group, the Ngaiawang, Ngawait, Nganguruku, Erawirung, Ngintait, Ngaralte and Ngarkat people along with the many other clans and family groups across these regions.
We respect the Traditional Custodians of these lands and their ancestors and acknowledge their deep and ongoing connection to the land and continuation of cultural practices.
We pay respect to Elders past, present and future, for they hold the memories, traditions, cultures and hopes of the First Nations people of Australia.
Our respect extends to First Nations people from these lands and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from different nations that reside here today.
We recognise the tragic impact of past injustice and generational trauma that has led to systemic disadvantage faced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today and commit to contributing to reconciliation and building a better future for all alongside First Nations people and communities.
ac.care acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Click on the image to open and download the 2022 to 2025 Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan.
A BOLD Boandik artwork has been installed on ac.care’s Mount Gambier Family Relationship Centre to celebrate National Reconciliation Week. The … Read more
COUNTRY not-for-profit organisation ac.care has launched its Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan, outlining three years of bold action to make a … Read more
COUNTRY agency ac.care has backed recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pe»ople in the Australian Constitution and implementation of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament to achieve better outcomes for First Nations people.
The not-for-profit service provider has joined more than 2450 organisations nationwide with Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) commitments to demonstrate unwavering support for a reconciled future for our nation.
The collection of RAP organisations supports 4 million Australians each day through their work across a range of sectors.
“We have been on the journey of reconciliation for many years and our organisation is stronger because we have listened to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” ac.care chief executive officer Shane Maddocks said.
“Enshrining a Voice to Parliament in the Constitution would ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices guide the decisions affecting their communities at a national level, fostering more effective, informed and just policies to truly make a difference.”
He said this would lead to better practical outcomes for Aboriginal people.
“We have to do better around closing the gap on health measures between Aboriginal people and other Australians and a Voice to parliament will help in this regional and national priority because we know listening to communities leads to better outcomes that improve people’s lives,” Mr Maddocks said.
ac.care Stretch RAP champion Jason Wallace said recognition and providing a voice to First Nations people had been at the heart of the reconciliation movement for decades, but was finally gaining momentum.
“We are thankful for the mandate of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which was offered by First Nations people to invite all Australians to walk together towards a better future for all Australians and have long been committed to the principles of voice, treaty and truth, well before 2023,” he said.
“That commitment remains strong and we are hopeful we will see a constitutionally protected Voice to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a direct say in the laws that affect them, allowing for real, practical improvements in areas like jobs, health, education and justice.”
ac.care acting community services general manager Kirsty Barnett said reconciliation was founded on respectful relationships and urged all Australians to engage thoughtfully as they educate themselves and others about the important opportunity the referendum provides.
“We call for a respectful discussion as we approach the referendum, acknowledging this is a challenging time for our First Nations friends, colleagues and communities as the political process leads to commentary about our history and future that can be confronting at a time when we should be welcoming this unique opportunity to achieve a fairer and more just society that allows our Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people to have a say about laws and policies that affect them,” she said.
She urged country people to accept the invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart to provide a Voice to Parliament for First Nations people as a vital step to make our nation a stronger, fairer and better place for all.
ac.care is part of the Anglicare Australia Network, which previously voiced its public support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and Voice to Parliament last year.
“The Uluru Statement offers a historic mandate to create a fuller expression of Australia’s nationhood and we hear and support the call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution to empower First Nations peoples,” ac.care board convenor Rick Fisher said.
Mr Fisher said this was a vital step in committing to respecting the knowledge and expertise of First Nations peoples and that ac.care already had a focus on centring First Nations voices in its work.
