Acknowledgement of Country
Bank Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we work, and pay our deep respects to Elders past and present. This includes the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation (on whose lands our head office is based), and the lands on which our other branches and sites are located.
Our commitment to reconciliation
In 2010, Bank Australia became the first customer-owned bank in Australia to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), and our most recent RAP concluded in 2021. Our commitment to reconciliation is longstanding, and continues to guide our efforts.
As a bank, we recognise we have an important role to play – from ensuring our loans and investments are supporting a sustainable future (guided by our Responsible Banking Policy and Climate Action Strategy) to working in partnership with First Nations-led initiatives (like Indigenous Business Australia) and Traditional Owner Groups (including on the conservation reserve). And as a customer-owned organisation, we have great potential for positive impact by encouraging our customers to become a part of critical conversations. We have supported the full realisation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart since 2019, and welcome the announcement of a federal referendum on a Voice to Parliament.
We’re proud to support an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament that is enshrined in the Constitution.
The Voice to Parliament represents the first step towards realising the full Uluru Statement from the Heart, which we have supported since 2019. In 2023, with the upcoming federal referendum, we have a generational opportunity to begin making this a reality.
The next steps in our journey
To guide our work, we are currently developing a renewed reconciliation strategy. There are important efforts unfolding around us, from Truth and Treaty processes to community-driven campaigns for climate justice. With this strategy, we will ensure we can continue to make meaningful contributions to this space, and to empower our members to do the same. We look forward to sharing updates on our progress as this takes shape in the months ahead.
