Wombat's first formal commitment to reconciliation — a public, accountable plan to build stronger relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities, and organisations, and to do better for First Nations people accessing homelessness services.
Download the RAP (PDF)Wombat Housing acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first people of now-called Australia. We pay our respects to the Wurundjeri people of the Woi-Wurrung language group of the Kulin Nation, on whose lands we work, advocate, and support our wider community.
We acknowledge the ongoing impacts of colonisation, and we recognise that the current housing system does not reflect the cultural needs or practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We commit to listening to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, developing meaningful connections with community, and advocating for culturally appropriate housing solutions.
We pay our deepest respects to Elders past and present — those who came before us, and those who guide us today.
Always was, always will be, Aboriginal Land.
The full Acknowledgement of Country is in the Reflect RAP (PDF).
As a homelessness support service in Melbourne's west, Wombat sees first-hand the disproportionate impact of housing insecurity on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In Victoria, Aboriginal people make up around 1% of the population but 13% of people accessing homelessness services. This gap reflects the ongoing impacts of colonisation and dispossession, and the ways housing and homelessness systems have not been designed around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander relationships to home, Country and community.
This Reflect RAP is Wombat's first formal step toward addressing that. Over 18 months we are committing — publicly, with timelines and named accountabilities — to building stronger relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations, deepening cultural understanding inside our staff team, opening pathways for First Nations employment and procurement, and embedding the governance that holds us to what we say we will do.
The work is led by our RAP Working Group, which includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our staff. It will not solve everything — a Reflect RAP is a starting point, not a finish line. But it is a public, accountable commitment to do better.
The Reflect RAP framework organises our commitments into four pillars: Relationships, Respect, Opportunities, and Governance.
Building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities, and organisations within our sphere of influence.
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Deepening understanding, value, and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, knowledge, and rights across our staff and practice.
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Creating employment, professional development, and procurement opportunities that support improved economic and social outcomes for First Nations people.
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Establishing the structures, leadership, and accountability needed to deliver our commitments and report on progress honestly.
Read more ↓Wombat advocates for self-determination and acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agencies are best positioned to determine optimal outcomes for their communities. Our Relationships commitments focus on building genuine connections with First Nations stakeholders, celebrating National Reconciliation Week, communicating reconciliation across the organisation, and strengthening our anti-discrimination practice.
Wombat proudly acknowledges the rich cultural heritage of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, Traditional Custodians of the lands on which our office sits — opposite Quor-nóng (Royal Park), an ancient meeting place for the Eastern Kulin nations. Our Respect commitments focus on deepening staff understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, and cultural protocols, and on connecting our daily practice to that heritage.
In Victoria, Aboriginal people make up around 1% of the population but represent 13% of people accessing homelessness services. Closing that gap requires more than service delivery — it requires creating real pathways into our organisation and our supply chain. Our Opportunities commitments focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment, professional development, and procurement.
Strong governance is what turns commitments into action. Our Governance commitments establish how the RAP is led, resourced, and reported on — internally to our staff and board, and externally to Reconciliation Australia — so we can be honest about both progress and gaps.
Wombat reports on RAP progress in two ways. Internally, our RAP Working Group reviews commitments and timelines on an ongoing basis, with senior leadership oversight from our General Manager. Externally, we complete and submit the annual RAP Impact Survey to Reconciliation Australia.
This page will be updated as commitments are delivered. Registration for our next RAP is scheduled for February 2027.
For questions about Wombat's Reflect RAP, or to discuss partnership and collaboration:
The full plan sets out every action, deliverable, timeline, and accountability across the four pillars — January 2026 to June 2027.
Download the RAP (PDF)
