Reconciliation at Transport for NSW
At Transport for New South Wales, we are deeply committed to reconciliation.
Transport for NSW Acknowledgement of Country
Transport for NSW recognises Aboriginal people are the traditional custodians of the lands we work on. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work and operate, especially to Elders, past and present
Our reconciliation commitment
Transport has a responsibility to help ensure equal opportunity and outcomes for all, and reconciliation starts with acknowledging past injustices and ongoing inequalities. It requires recognising and respecting First Nations people and communities and working for a more equal future.
Why we're committed to reconciliation
Aboriginal people are the custodians of the lands we live and work on at Transport. Many of our railways, roads, and waterways follow, and have disrupted, the sacred paths – known as Songlines – used by Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years.
Embedding truth telling and working towards reconciliation will make us a stronger organisation that truly represents the communities and customers we serve, and help us achieve our vision of making NSW a better place to live, work and visit.
Everyone at Transport has role to play; we are one Transport, walking our reconciliation journey together.
Note: This map is based on published map resources and is just one representation of
Aboriginal NSW. It indicates only the general location of larger groupings of people which may include smaller groups such as clans, dialects or individual languages in a group. Boundaries are not intended to be exact.
Transport for NSW Reconciliation Action Plan
A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a formal statement of commitment to Reconciliation for organisations to strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people for the benefit of all Australians.
‘Our Songlines are Calling’ by Frances Belle Parker was commissioned for Transport’s first RAP in 2019.
Transport’s Stretch RAP 2022-2025
Our new Stretch RAP 2022-2025 will further embed reconciliation across Transport and empower our people, influence our partners, and build a better future for our NSW communities.
Key priorities in our Stretch RAP include:
- Meaningful and collaborative community engagement in planning and designing Transport’s infrastructure that values connecting to country and the unique lived experiences of Aboriginal people.
- Influencing community economic development by implementing the NSW Government Procurement Policy through Transport’s Aboriginal Participation Strategy.
- Implementing and embedding Transport’s Aboriginal Cultural Learning Framework to enhance cultural safety, cultural awareness and learning outcomes, including truth telling.
- Increased Aboriginal recruitment and retention of Aboriginal employees through our Aboriginal Employment Strategy and Aboriginal Cultural Development and Mentoring Program.
Our progress to date with our Stretch RAP is reported every six months through biannual progress reports and the annual report card which can be found here:
- Biannual Progress Report 1: January to June 2023 (PDF 2.32MB)
- Biannual Progress Report 2: July to December 2023 (PDF 4.84MB)
- Annual Report Card: December 2023 (PDF 2.39MB)
- Biannual Progress Report 3: January to June 2024 (PDF 8.15MB)
- Biannual Progress Report 4: July to December 2024 (PDF 1.47MB)
- Annual Report Card: December 2024 (PDF 365.7KB)
- Biannual Progress Report 5: January to June 2025 (PDF 1.85MB).
Our reconciliation journey
Pre-2018 - Getting to the start line
- Contributing to reconciliation through everyday operations including supporting the NSW Government's Closing The Gap initiatives and Premier's Priorities.
- NSW Transport cluster created, bringing together several Transport agencies and the need for a unified approach to reconciliation.
2019-21 - Innovate RAP
- Transport's first RAP launched, providing organisation-wide visibility of our actions and relationships with Aboriginal people.
- Reconciliation Steering Committee convened and RAP team formed.
- Co-designed five frameworks to consolidate work already underway.
2022-25 - Stretch RAP
- Launched three-year Stretch RAP, designed to embed frameworks and deepen our commitment.
- Reviewed governance model to drive outcomes through greater collaboration and connection.
- Committed to new targets for cultural competency, procurement and employment.
Reconciliation in action: our key frameworks and strategies
Aboriginal staff led the creation of frameworks and strategies that strategically guide our reconciliation efforts across a range of areas, from procurement and employment opportunities to community engagement, cultural learning and arts, cultural heritage and placemaking. These include:
- Aboriginal Art Strategy (PDF 6.8MB)
- Aboriginal Culture and Heritage Framework (PDF 8.69MB)
- Principles and Framework for Aboriginal Engagement (PDF 3.44MB)
- Aboriginal Cultural Protocol 2020-2022 (PDF 586.75KB)
- Aboriginal Participation Strategy (PDF 1.74MB).
We are also currently developing the following document, which will be aligned to Stretch RAP outcomes:
- Aboriginal Cultural Learning Framework.
Aboriginal Employment Strategy
The Aboriginal Employment Strategy was developed with the collaboration, experience and insight of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander working group. The strategy highlights our ongoing commitment to reconciliation and centres around four key pillars: Attraction, Employment, Engagement and Development:
Case studies
View examples of how reconciliation looks at Transport:
Transport for NSW Aboriginal Art Strategy
Transport for NSW Aboriginal Engagement Manager Lee Pearson discusses the importance of Aboriginal art in Transport projects and the Transport for NSW Aboriginal Art Strategy.
Transport for NSW Aboriginal Engagement Manager Lee Pearson discusses the importance of Aboriginal art in Transport projects and the Transport for NSW Aboriginal Art Strategy. Wonnarua woman and artist Saretta Fielding discusses the mural she created for Transport's Broadmeadow Station and the role Aboriginal art plays in reconciliation.
The Aboriginal Art Strategy was a key outcome of the Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan and guides Transport staff in facilitating and fostering partnerships with construction contractors, urban designers and the Aboriginal Arts community.
Aboriginal Art provides a means of cultural expression and is a vehicle for the maintenance and transmission of culture. There is also strong evidence of how the Aboriginal Arts sector provides substantial economic, social and cultural benefits.
Working with Aboriginal suppliers at Transport for NSW
Transport for NSW has procurement targets under the NSW Government Aboriginal Procurement Policy (APP).
Transport for NSW has procurement targets under the NSW Government Aboriginal Procurement Policy (APP).
We talk to Transport Senior Manager Aboriginal Engagement, Strategy and Greater Sydney, Warren Steadman, about our progress against the APP targets. Transport Senior Manager Aboriginal Engagement South & West Bobbi Brodie and CBK General Manager Tara Sullivan also share the benefits of working together on two recent Transport projects – the Albion Park Rail Bypass and the Berry to Bomaderry Bypass.
Ngemba Gamilaraay man, Christopher “Burra” McHughes presenting from Wiradjuri country on how cultural burning contributes to the healing and protecting of Country.
After record bushfires in 2019-2020, it was clear we needed to reconsider our fire mitigation strategies. Transport’s Regional and Outer Metropolitan (ROM) leadership team met with Aboriginal communities from one of the hardest hit regions, NSW’s South Coast (on Yuin nation), to better understand traditional cultural burning practices. They learned how it can be used to heal the land and promote biodiversity, as well as keep community safe and improve management of Transport assets.
Tom Grosskopf, Executive Director of ROM’s Network and Assets branch said: “We need to start thinking differently about emergency preparedness. Aboriginal peoples… have managed this land for millennia and we have much to learn about how they use fire to reduce fuel load and encourage new growth, as well as its cultural significance in healing the land.”
Ngemba Gamilaraay man, Christopher “Burra” McHughes, called into Transport’s 2021 NAIDOC Week livestream from Wiradjuri country to discuss the importance of cultural burning.
“Healing Country is important, because in our culture, we belong to the land we live on. It’s about recognising that ancient traditions can work in harmony with modern techniques and look after country,” said Christopher.
The Lady Northcott ferry was repurposed, joining the Tribal Warrior fleet where it is used for cultural tours and training youth on Sydney Harbour, Eora nation. This photo was captured by Mark Champley’s son-in-law, Nick Baker, who is a Manly Ferry Captain.
When the iconic Lady Northcott ferry was being retired, Transport Learning and Development Associate Mark Champley had an idea. Mark, a Kamilaroi man and a former Sydney Ferries worker, suggested giving the ferry a second life by donating it to Tribal Warrior for the training of Aboriginal youth.
Tribal Warrior, Australia’s largest Aboriginal maritime charity, has trained more than 5000 people in the maritime and hospitality industries since its inception in 1998. It also has a youth mentoring program and a self-empowerment strategy for troubled youth.
Mark’s idea was embraced by Transport’s leaders, and the ferry was officially handed over to Tribal Warrior in May 2021. The donation of the Lady Northcott has enabled them to employ and mentor Aboriginal trainees whilst running commercial operations with their qualified crew. They’re also assisted by the Friends of Lady Northcott, a group of retired crew from Sydney Ferries.
Tom Grosskopf, Executive Director of Network and Assets, Regional and Outer Metropolitan division
Q&A with Tom Grosskopf, Executive Director of Network and Assets, Regional and Outer Metropolitan division
After record floods and bushfires across NSW over the past few years, what role do Aboriginal communities and knowledge have at Transport – especially with managing our network and assets?
Aboriginal communities and knowledge can spark new ways of understanding, valuing and managing our assets. Assets like vegetation, biodiversity and landscapes haven’t been highly valued in the past, they have often been seen as a cost. But we’ve learned that the services landscapes along our road corridors (e.g. slope stability, erosion and sediment control, water retention, aesthetics, cultural connections, heat control) are immense and cannot be replaced by engineered controls.
There’s a lot we can learn from traditional knowledge holders and many great opportunities to engage communities in the active care of country. This will benefit the travelling public and provide local communities with opportunities for a greater connection to country.
Last year, the ROM leadership team met with Aboriginal experts to discuss cultural burning practices. How has ROM continued to work with Aboriginal communities?
We’ve been a little slow to start but we now have a sound foundation for trials of traditional land management practices. These trials will focus on looking after landscapes along our roads and potentially railways too.
How have we created safe spaces and relationships for Aboriginal communities to be open, willing to engage and share knowledge?
We know the importance of respecting traditional knowledge. We work closely with our Aboriginal Engagement Team to make sure our approach to communities is respectful and at a pace that allows us to build trust. We aim to create economic and cultural opportunities for communities through applying their knowledge of caring for country. Communities decide what knowledge is shared.
Transport held a livestream during a cultural burning event. Why is it important to promote and share cultural knowledge and practices with our people?
The heart of this answer is wrapped up in one word: reconciliation.
When we have the courage and humility to stop, listen, engage and collaborate to deliver better outcomes for the people we serve, we encourage everyone to try something different. We show that practical steps toward reconciliation are not only possible, but they’re also deeply practical, efficient and effective. It builds a culture that respects all people and encourages problem solving for the greater good, our customers, our communities and our people.
Aboriginal artist Angela Marr-Grogan, whose artwork Barray Bila ‘River Country’ appears on the new Port Macquarie water truck
Transport staff and community members for at unveiling ceremony of Barray Bila ‘River Country’ artwork on Port Macquarie tanker
Smoking ceremony at unveiling of Barray Bila ‘River Country’ artwork on transport tanker co-hosted by the Birpai local Aboriginal Land Council on Birpai nation
Truck art designs reflect local landscapes and commitment to reconciliation
Transport’s Regional Fleet Services team commissioned Aboriginal artists to create artwork for several new water trucks which service the regions around Hay (Wiradjuri country), Port Macquarie (Biripai nation) and Ballina (Bundjalung nation). The artworks were created by artists local to each area to reflect the landscape, and how the trucks connect our waterways, lands and sky. They also represent the significance of Aboriginal culture and commitment to reconciliation at Transport.
The water trucks will operate for 10 to 15 years and are used to assist with local roadworks as well as bushfires and other natural disasters across the state.
Growing community relationships and opportunities
Transport consulted artists and their communities for the project. Community events were also held to mark the arrival of the new trucks, including a Smoke Ceremony co-hosted by the Birpai local Aboriginal Land Council on Birpai nation at Port Macquarie on Biripi nation co-hosted by the Birpai local Aboriginal Land Council.
The project strengthened relationships between Transport and the local Aboriginal communities, with positive feedback also coming from staff, contractors and labour hire companies.
Fleet Services Statewide Maintenance & and Delivery Maintenance Manager, Jacqueline Madsen, said: “I have also heard that crews have been able to attract and recruit more people of Aboriginal background following those people seeing the trucks as a representation of inclusivity and respect for culture at Transport.”
Inspiring further change at Transport
A fourth water truck, used for snow clearing operations, will service Cooma from August 2022.
The project has inspired additional initiatives, including the creation of a service sticker (similar to that in the windscreen of your car telling you when your next service is due) featuring Aboriginal artwork made by the Grafton workshop. It was quickly approved for rollout across the state.
At Transport, we know it’s important to carefully integrate our transport network within cities and neighbourhoods to create great places. This means our streets and open spaces are functional, beautiful, inclusive, resilient and inviting for all.
We spoke to Cities and Active Transport (CAT) division Deputy Secretary, Kiersten Fishburn, to find out a little more about what placemaking looks like for her team.
What is placemaking?
Placemaking means we reimagine and reinvent public spaces so they have long-term social, cultural, environmental and economic value for our customers and communities.
It’s all about creating vibrant and walkable public spaces where people feel welcome, safe and connected.
Why is it important?
Creating quality public spaces can contribute to people’s health, happiness and wellbeing – and if done right, it benefits everyone.
Can you tell us a little bit about how your team approaches placemaking and ensure it creates inclusive places for Aboriginal communities? Do you engage with Aboriginal communities?
When we’re designing public spaces, we think about how to make them inclusive and tell the stories from that area. This strengthens connection to country and creates places that reflect our community.
To make sure we’re including the voices of Aboriginal communities, we follow Connecting to Country principles. We also engage with Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Aboriginal community members.
Why does creating inclusive places for Aboriginal people benefit the whole community?
Creating places where Aboriginal people feel welcome is an important part of building a more equal Australia. When we reflect and showcase the 65,000 years of Aboriginal culture and knowledge in our cities and places, we help create a shared identity that all Australians can be proud of. That’s why it’s at the forefront of everything we do.
We have a RAP Advisory Committee with representatives from the Aboriginal Education team and other teams within CAT. The committee consults with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in government and non-government organisations to better understand precincts and how to provide the best representation and input from First Nations people.
This has resulted in key projects that have enhanced visibility of Aboriginal Songlines and stories.
Pyrmont Bridge Flags
Yaegl woman and artist Frances Belle Parker designed flags which were a reflection about the sense of place at Tumbalong (the original Eora name for Darling Harbour, and the waters that surround it). The flags are splashed with bright colours like fireworks adorning the night skies, signalling a celebration and hope for the future. The vivid colours with the layering and mapping of the area becomes an acknowledgement of country which allows you to immerse yourself in the location.
Frances Belle Parker also designed Transport’s RAP artwork.
Active Transport initiative
We are looking at providing better cycling investments in Aboriginal communities. We are researching how we can build on programs like Roads to Home and Bike and Helmet Programs to improve access and opportunities within those communities.
Check out some of our other initiatives:
- Celebrating First Nations artists and cultures in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
- Partnering to create a national reconciliation symbol with our Sea of Hands.
- Partnering with First Nations designers and community members for landscape planning at Fernhill Estate.
- Creating the Summer Night Walks series as part of The Festival of Place, featuring a tour of Saltwater National Park, on Birpi land, by comedian and Birpi man Andy Saunders.
‘Our Songlines are Calling’ by Frances Belle Parker was commissioned for Transport’s first RAP in 2019.
Our Songlines are Calling by Frances Belle Parker
“Our Songlines are Calling is a painting which shows the strong importance of our Traditional Songlines when travelling through Country”
– Frances Belle Parker, Yaegl woman and creator of Transport for NSW’s
Reconciliation Action Plan artwork
Yaegl woman and artist Frances Belle Parker was commissioned to create an artwork for Transport’s innovate RAP in 2019. The painting she created, ‘Our Songlines are Calling’, is an aerial view of the land which uses colours to represent the New South Wales landscape. It shows the water which runs through our river systems towards the coastline, the bush, the desert and the mountains. The small linear markings represent the tracks made by Aboriginal peoples while travelling the trade routes and ceremonial paths, called Songlines.
Frances said: “This is the country in which the landscape sang us home. Singing, walking, meeting, sharing and celebrating were regular occurrences when we followed our Songlines. We listened to the Country and in return we were guided safely to our destination.”
Many of the transport routes we use today – from rail lines, to roads, to water crossings – follow, and disrupted, the traditional Songlines that Aboriginal people travelled for tens of thousands of years. Frances’ painting shows the importance of these Songlines and recognises the relationship between the land and Aboriginal peoples.
My passion comes from my identity and heritage. I’m passionate about my culture, our history, progression and development.
What’s been a highlight of working on Transport’s RAP?
I joined the RAP team in late February, and so far, just being able to contribute to developing Transport’s RAP is the highlight.
What change would you like to see at Transport?
I am currently working on this, but seeing the expansion of cultural awareness and Aboriginal education.
What advice do you have for our people on how to take reconciliation action at Transport?
Don’t be hesitant and afraid of change, embrace it. Reach out if you don’t know, the RAP team is always here to help.
Do you have any advice for other organisations starting their reconciliation journey?
Seek guidance from organisations that are further along in their reconciliation journey and consult with your Aboriginal employees.
Transport’s Aboriginal VET Cadet program gives participants the opportunity to do paid work whilst they study. The participants build their skills, experience and knowledge through work placements relevant to their career aspirations and VET studies.
Course fees are covered by the NSW Smart and Skilled program, with Transport’s Aboriginal Employment Unit Programs team managing recruitment and onboarding and providing support during the placement. Participants and placement managers have structured mentoring to meet cultural and professional needs.
After completing the 24-month traineeship program, participants can transition to tertiary employment programs such as the Entry Level Talent Programs, Scholar or Graduate Programs. Once they’ve completed their studies, the Aboriginal Employment Unit offers support in securing roles at Transport.
Since 2015, there have been:
- 7 program intakes
- 77 participants
- 53 participants securing ongoing employment.
Participants are completing a range of courses across areas of the business. Amongst the most recent cohort, there are:
- 10 participants are completing a Certificate IV in Project Management.
- 7 participants are completing a Certificate IV in Information Technology with Sydney Trains.
- 5 participants are completing a Certificate IV in Safety with Sydney Trains.
- 6 RMS participants are completing a Certificate II in Maritime Operations.
Ellen Bouquet, Senior Officer Aboriginal Employment, Aboriginal Employment Unit
Meet a Transport VET Cadet Program graduate
Q&A with Ellen Bouquet, Senior Officer Aboriginal Employment, Aboriginal Employment Unit
Ellen Bouquet is a proud Gadigal woman from the Eora nation. Ellen successfully completed Transport’s VET Cadet Program in 2018.
- Why did you apply for the VET Cadet program?
I applied for the VET Cadet program because I was in a dark place mentally and going from job to job with no career in mind. I had seen my cousin do the program and the way she turned her life around and thought, ‘if I can put in this effort, I too could create a better life’.
- How was your experience being part of the program?
Being part of the program was an emotional roller coaster. I had so many ups and downs and times where I thought, ’this isn’t for me, I can’t do this’, but the support network my cohort had created really carried all of us through. I have made brothers and sisters for life from the program.
- What was a highlight or impactful moment from your time as a VET cadet?
Finally finishing something I started. I was becoming a professional student, starting a course and never finishing, so the moment I received my certificate and shook the hands of my teacher and the Secretary of Transport, I knew I had made it. I lost my Pop during the program, and he was my biggest supporter, so being able to finish knowing he was looking down on me was one of the proudest moments of my life.
- How did the program benefit you and your career? What are some opportunities the program has given you?
The program gave me not only a job but a career. I have been working at Transport for five years and climbed from a grade 1 to a grade 7 role. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be able to provide for not only myself but also my family. I am the first in my family to buy a home and am grateful for the stable career at Transport that gave me and my fiancé the opportunity.
- Why do you believe it is important for Transport to run this kind of program?
These programs give Aboriginal people the opportunity to change their lives, not just for themselves but also their community. I left school in year 10 to get a fulltime job to help my family with bills. If it wasn’t for these types of programs, I would have never had the chance to prove I am enough to represent my community in the state government sector.
- What advice would you give someone looking to apply to the program?
Just apply because you have nothing to lose, you will only take steps to create a better life.
Aboriginal Cultural Learning Framework
Transport for NSW has developed an Aboriginal Cultural Learning Framework (ACLF) to provide a range of learning options to Transport’s people. The ACLF was a key deliverable in Transport’s Innovate RAP 2019-2021.
Transport for NSW has developed an Aboriginal Cultural Learning Framework (ACLF) to provide a range of learning options to Transport’s people. The ACLF was a key deliverable in Transport’s Innovate RAP 2019-2021.
One of the learning options in the ACLF is the Aboriginal Cultural Education (ACE) Program, a one-day training course aimed to increase understanding, value and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, knowledge, and rights through cultural learning.
We spoke to NSW Trainlink Guard Rob Dwyer about why he took part in the ACE course.
Aboriginal Career Development Mentor Program
The Aboriginal Career Development and Mentoring Program (ACDMP) connects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Transport people with senior Transport leaders to support and develop their careers.
The Aboriginal Career Development and Mentoring Program (ACDMP) connects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Transport people with senior Transport leaders to support and develop their careers.
We talk to Senior Project Officer, Aboriginal Engagement, Mark Champley, who manages the program, as well as alumni Terri Deunhouwer and Tom Grosskopf, about their experiences in the ACDMP.
The 12-month program brings together mentees and mentors for a series of workshops, events and regular, informal meetings. These are designed to build leadership skills and confidence in mentees and Aboriginal cultural knowledge and understanding in mentors. Between 2016-2021, 70 participants graduated from the program.
Stolen Generations Memorial Plaques
To pave a genuine path to reconciliation, we must acknowledge the role Transport for NSW played during the Stolen Generations, during which its rail network was used to transport Aboriginal children away from their families.
To pave a genuine path to reconciliation, we must acknowledge the role Transport for NSW played during the Stolen Generations, during which its rail network was used to transport Aboriginal children away from their families.
Transport has worked with NSW Stolen Generations survivor organisations to install memorial plaques at its stations. The first was unveiled at Platform 1 in Sydney’s Central Station, where many of the removed children arrived to, before being taken to other parts of the state. Plaques have also been installed at stations in Grafton, Kempsey, Bourke, Berry, and Bomaderry, with more locations planned.
We spoke to Transport for NSW Aboriginal Engagement Senior Project Officer Mark Champley about the plaques project. We also caught up with Transport’s Director of Community and Place, Regional Outer Metropolitan, Ant Hayes, and Gunu-Baakandji, Kunju and Budjiti man, and relative of Stolen Generations survivors, Stephen Howarth, who both attended the plaque unveiling in Bourke.