Reconciliation a priority for major Victorian water utility

A new Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) was recently launched by Yarra Valley Water, the largest metropolitan Melbourne retail water utility.

The RAP, which has been endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, symbolises a commitment to reconciliation, and will be incorporated into the way Yarra Valley Water provides its services to customers, its relationship with the environment, and its role within the community.

Yarra Valley Water’s Reconciliation Action Plan supports the State Government’s Water for Victoria framework, which sets out key actions for the water sector. These include recognising Aboriginal values and objectives of water and including Aboriginal values and traditional ecological knowledge in water planning.

Minister for Water Lisa Neville said, “Supporting Aboriginal values is a key element of Water for Victoria and it’s great to see Yarra Valley Water taking real action that will create change.”

Pat McCafferty, Managing Director of Yarra Valley Water, said that we share a deep common interest with Aboriginal communities to preserve and protect water for future generations.

“Water is fundamental to our communities to support a healthy environment, a prosperous economy and thriving communities now and into the future.

“The Reconciliation Action Plan we are launching provides a strong foundation to build upon relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in our work,” Mr McCafferty said.