In May 2024, Bank Australia launched its First Nations Recognition and Respect strategy, setting out our vision for walking together towards First Nations justice, reconciliation and self-determination. One year on, we spoke with Rafe Pfitzner Milika, our Manager Reconciliation Strategy, to reflect on the progress we’ve made together with our customers – and the work still to come.
In National Reconciliation Week 2024, we launched our First Nations Recognition and Respect strategy, a commitment to walking alongside First Nations peoples in the pursuit of justice, reconciliation and self-determination. We’re particularly focused on three key areas: recognition and respect through building deep, ongoing relationships; providing accessible and culturally appropriate impact lending; and increasing our procurement from First Nations businesses.
One year on, this strategy is more than words on paper – it’s shaping how we invest, partner, and advocate for meaningful change. We sat down with Rafe Pfitzner Milika, our Manager Reconciliation Strategy, to reflect on the milestones, relationships and learnings from the past year, and what’s next on the journey.
Building trust through relationships
Strong and respectful relationships are central to the strategy. “Relationships are everything,” Rafe says. “Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of deepening those connections, both personally and on behalf of the bank.”
One of those long-standing relationships is with Treaty Day Out, an event we’ve supported for three years alongside the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria. “It’s more than symbolic,” says Rafe. “We are part of a First Nations justice movement. It raises awareness and brings people together in support of the Treaty process in Victoria.”
We’ve also continued our relationship with and funding of with Seed Mob, Australia’s first Indigenous youth climate network. “Seed is a powerful example of what youth-led, climate-focused and values-driven leadership can look like,” Rafe says.
Up to 4% of our annual after-tax profit is dedicated to Bank Australia's impact fund. One of the important and valuable relationships we have established through our impact fund is with Victorian Aboriginal News (VAN), and its founder and editor Uncle Charles Pakana. Uncle Charles is an Aboriginal man of Tasmanian descent who identifies strongly as a Victorian Aboriginal man.
VAN is a real source of inspiration and critically important information on truth-telling, treaty, voice, reconciliation and Aboriginal affairs, with a focus on Victoria. VAN's flagship product, known as the VAN Talks podcast, includes an ever-growing digital library of hundreds of culturally informative and insightful podcasts. We are honoured to be supporting Uncle Charles and the VAN Talks podcast through an impact fund grant.
Supporting truth-telling and systemic change
A commitment to truth-telling lies at the heart of the First Nations Recognition and Respect strategy. “Truth-telling is a fundamental part of the process of affecting the change needed in society,” Rafe says. “It’s about recognising the historic and ongoing impacts of colonisation and not only listening deeply to First Nations voices but acting to address these impacts so we can build a more just future.”
Bank Australia’s support for the Yoorrook Justice Commission through our impact fund exemplifies this commitment. Yoorrook (which means “truth” in the Wamba Wamba language) is Victoria’s first formal truth-telling body, led by respected Wergaia/Wamba Wamba Elder and Chair of Yoorrook, Professor Eleanor Bourke. We’re very proud to support the Walk for Truth, an initiative that will see Yoorrook’s Deputy Chair, Commissioner Travis Lovett, walk from Portland to Parliament to raise awareness of Yoorrook’s work.
“We were really honoured to have Yoorrook, who have been situated just two floors below our head office in Collingwood, invite Bank Australia to a presentation in the hearing room in April,” Rafe says. “It was good and important that members of the Bank Australia Board, Executive and other staff members had the opportunity to hear in person from Yoorrook’s Chair, Deputy Chair and CEO, as well as the Co-Chairs and CEO of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria.”
Supporting community-led initiatives
Bank Australia’s community customer grants are an important component of our impact fund and they contribute to supporting the work and aspirations of Indigenous-led organisations like Nalderun and Woor-Dungin, enabling important grassroots initiatives.
“When we assess grant applications, one of the things we look for is how a grant can help empower First Nations organisations”, Rafe explains. “We were thrilled to support Nalderun’s youth leadership program and Woor-Dungin’s Cultivating Connections event – the latter was held during May 2025 and was a great success.”
Visiting Nalderun at a certain spot on Dja Dja Wurrung Country left a profound impression on Rafe. “As an Aboriginal person, standing beside Me-Mandook Galk [the sacred grandmother tree located on a property that Nalderun bought back] was very spiritually powerful,” Rafe shares. “These moments and this beautiful old tree remind me why this work matters. ‘It draws you in,’ someone with me remarked, and I agreed.”
Impact lending in action: Bidyadanga
A key goal of our First Nations Recognition and Respect strategy is to increase the flow of capital into First Nations organisations by establishing and growing our First Nations impact lending portfolio and making sure we do it in a culturally appropriate and respectful way. "This is something I'm really excited about", says Rafe. "It's about using the business of banking to support economic justice and self-determination".
A standout project is our partnership with Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community La Grange Inc. (BACLGI), the largest remote Aboriginal community in Western Australia. With support from a Bank Australia impact loan and an Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation grant, BACLGI has acquired Shamrock Gardens, a 300-hectare freehold horticulture property in the Kimberley region.
The site is an established enterprise growing watermelon, pumpkin, sweet potato and maize, creating employment and business opportunities for the community’s five language groups: Karajarri (Traditional Owners), Juwaliny, Mangala, Nyangumarta and Yulparija; with profits and benefits flowing back into the local community.
Economic self-determination through procurement
A key focus of the strategy is increasing Bank Australia’s procurement from First Nations-owned businesses. This year, we partnered with Muru Office Supplies, a Supply Nation-certified, majority Indigenous-owned company, to provide office supplies across all our locations.
“Muru is the Wiradjuri word for ‘pathway’, and that’s what this is about – building economic pathways and increasing participation in the economy,” says Rafe. “It’s a significant step forward for our procurement practices.”
Reflecting on the first year
As the strategy reaches its first milestone, Rafe reflects on the journey so far. “I think we can be proud of quite a number of things we’ve done,” he says. “But there are some areas we do need to improve on. I’m here to help facilitate that for the bank and I look forward to increased and continuing support in that endeavour of overall First Nations justice.”
Learn more about Bank Australia’s First Nations Recognition and Respect Strategy.
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