First Nations Better Practice Community Engagement Toolkit
Last updated April 2024
Disclaimer: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this toolkit may contain content of people who have died.
About this Toolkit
This First Nations Better Practice Community Engagement Toolkit brings together better practice community engagement case studies and practical experience from across the energy and water sectors to explore what worked well, what was learned and what outcomes were achieved along the way.
It aims to support the energy and water sectors to improve the way we work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customers and communities through three stages of engagement.
All presentations, artifacts and video recordings are drawn from #BetterTogether First Nations Better Practice Community Engagement Workshop Series. The intention is for this Toolkit to be continually updated.
This Toolkit incorporates the First Nations Clean Energy Network Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Best Practice Principles for Clean Energy Projects.
There are 3 major sections to discover:
1. The Foundations: Cultural Training and Awareness
This stage prioritises cultural training and awareness as the first step of the better practice journey.
2. Building Blocks: Towards Better First Nations Engagement
This stage develops practice recognising that engagement with First Nations communities is different to other engagement.
3. Ongoing Steps: Strategic Partnering
This stage helps organisations move away from opportunistic engagement towards long-term trusting relationships.
Toolkit Resources
From Engagement to Action - Danny McDonald, Gippsland Water and Nicole Sexton, Barwon Water
Transgrid’s Yura Ngura Indigenous Advisory Team - Sherrie Anderson, Transgrid
This image was taken from the First Nations Clean Energy Network (FNCEN) Best Practice Principles presentation by Jonathan Kneebone at First Nations Clean Energy Network.
Best Practice Principles: First Nations Clean Energy Network (FNCEN)
FNCEN have developed Principles to support First Nations communities to play a key role in the development of medium and large-scale clean energy projects and to negotiate on an even playing field.
First Nations Clean Energy Network (FNCEN) Best Practice Principles - Jonathan Kneebone, Director Policy and Engagement
These Principles place First Nations people and their communities at the centre of the development, design, implementation and benefit-sharing of medium to large-scale clean energy projects.
The Principles highlight best practice and reflect local conditions and legislation, as well as international frameworks and norms for engagement with First Nations communities, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
This image was taken from the Cultural Intelligence CQ Model presentation by Jordin Payne at Water Corporation.
The Foundations: Cultural Awareness and Training
The key foundations in the journey towards better First Nations engagement is cultural training and awareness. Prioritising this as the first step of the journey will ensure your efforts are focused on relationship building, rather than opportunistic engagement activities.
#BetterTogether opportunities for Cultural Training and Awareness
- Support leaders in organisations to understand the value and adequately resource First Nations engagement, for example dedicate more than one person in the organisation to be responsible for First Nations engagement.
- Recognise First Nations engagement is different and will require more time and people resources to other forms of engagement.
- Recognise and fund a commitment to First Nations expertise.
- Proctively invest in First Nations businesses (keeping in mind different communities have different capabilities when it comes to offering services).
Case Studies + Practical Tips
Jump to:
Cultural Intelligence CQ Model - Jordin Payne, Water Corporation
What We Heard
“While there is increasing recognition of the business case for culturally inclusive work settings, there is a critical lack of understanding about how to achieve this.”
There are several businesses starting their First Nations engagement journey and are new to the idea of cultural intelligence helping organisation’s understand where they’re at and how to develop internal capabilities.
What We Learnt
- It is not solely about the engagement activity.
- Recognise that relationships and available mechanisms enable effective and culturally appropriate engagement.
- The capacity of internal teams to develop their cultural intelligence will impact the effectiveness of engagement.
- Building cultural intelligence may require additional resources and time to accommodate people’s own cultural, unconscious and other biases.
'How to talk to community and pathways to a trusted source' - Graeme Gardner, TasNetworks
What We Heard
“One of things about being an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in a workplace is there’s an expectation and subsequent pressure about achieving the aims of organisations rather than you being the creator of the engagement...”
From First Nations Elder, Uncle Graeme Gardner, we heard practical tips on how to build relationships and approaches to talking with community. Regardless if you're an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, focus on the pathways to being a trusted source and cultural awareness.
What We Learnt
- Cultural awareness and trust are key factors to building relationships.
- What are the good practice approaches to talking with the community.
- Tips for developing Memorandums of Understandings (MOUs).
- Cultural awareness and what doesn’t work!
The transition from being culturally aware to competent - Nina Braid, Yarra Valley Water
What We Heard
“We aren’t all at the same point and we continue to learn every day as we grow into this space and there is still so much to learn.”
The Yarra Valley Water Cultural Learning Strategy works to integrate cultural learning opportunities into the business’ day-to-day work. The Strategy ensures an ongoing continuum of cultural learning beyond annual recognition events.
What We Learnt
- Navigating what works for Traditional Owners and/or Custodians takes time, building trust and sustainable relationships is vital.
- Cultural Awareness training for staff has been key in building relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, people and organisations.
- Creating culturally safe work environments is becoming the norm not the exception.
- Aim to collaborate not consult.
- It takes strong leadership to take steps toward Reconciliation.
This image was taken from the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) presentation by Anirudha Nagar at National Native Title Council.
Building Blocks: Towards Better First Nations Engagement
Developing building blocks to better engagement helps organisations recognise that engagement with First Nations communities is different to other engagement. First Nations communities focus on the development of relationships that recognises the connection to country of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
#BetterTogether opportunities for Better First Nations Engagement
- Co-design programs based on shared benefits and outcomes.
- Develop and ensure delivery of culturally appropriate Community Engagement Frameworks.
- Ensure culturally safe environments and talent acquisition.
- Fund commitments in procurement with First Nations organisations and businesses.
- Acknowledge and co-manage cultural risks.
- Make a commitment to a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
Case Studies + Practical Tips
Jump to:
Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) - Anirudha Nagar, National Native Title Council
What We Heard
FPIC is rapidly becoming the expected standard of engagement with First Nations peoples by industry, however the practical steps required to achieve it are not well understood.
What We Learnt
- What is Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
- Why is it critical for industry to make sure it is achieved.
- What are the practical lessons for industries moving forward.
‘Free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting ...[Indigenous] lands or territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources’ - UNDRIP
“We undertook a staff survey to gather insights around reconciliation opportunities [...] gave us a really good insight into the business feeling.”
SA Power Networks’ RAP - Alex Lewis, SA Power Networks
What We Heard
We heard the journey behind the development of the SA Power Networks RAP with the aim of launching in early 2024. The process included leadership endorsement and a dedicated RAP Working Group including First Nations staff.
Staff surveys were conducted to provide insights into reconciliation opportunities and challenges within the organisation, with the First Nation-only workshop demonstrating a sense of empowerment and energy among participants.
SA Power Networks also collaborated with a First Nations artist for their reconciliation artwork to reflect the organisation's journey and will be integrated into the workplace culture.
Ongoing internal and external communication is also key in terms of relaying messages aligning to project milestones and maintaining that constant rhythm.
We also heard about key RAP actions including investigating dedicated mentoring and progression planning for First Nations staff and providing the opportunity for a First Nation employee to coordinate implementation of the RAP.
What We Learnt
- The importance of taking the time to build a strong foundation, securing support from top leadership, and moving forward together.
- The need for ongoing communication, executive support, direct engagement with First Nation staff and being open to learning.
Water Corporation's RAP and Ergon Energy Retail's PowerSavvy program - Carolyn Davis, Water Corporation and Chris Samuelsson, Ergon Energy Retail
What We Heard
"If we don't know where we have come from, then we don't know where we are going."
We heard about the Water Corporation internal Aboriginal engagement strategy – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (YTT) and the organisation's Reconciliation Plan.
We also heard about the Ergon Energy PowerSavvy program, including a 3 week listening tour of the Northern Peninsula Area and Thursday Island to listen to their customers and communities’ questions and concerns including cost of living, electricity and clean energy.
"Our customers have questions and concerns...we took the time to sit and listen...if it took an hour, it took an hour. We just provided that time."
What We Learnt
- Understanding the difference between RAPs that work, and RAPs that don't.
- Organisational readiness including tools to help identify this.
- The importance of gathering additional insights through conversation.
This image was taken from the Transgrid Yura Ngura Indigenous Advisory Team presentation by Sherrie Anderson at Transgrid.
Ongoing Steps: Strategic Partnering
First Nations engagement can often be opportunistic instead of strategic. Organisations engage when they need something, to consult on a project, strategy or for procurement. This results in a stop-start nature of engagement with First Nation communities, which means working with different people every time. This does not build a trusting relationship from the communities’ point of view.
#BetterTogether opportunities for Strategic Partnering
- Lift the organisation’s importance of engagement with First Nation communities to business-as-usual in addition to activities outlined in a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
- Build strategic partnerships with First Nation communities, and avoid transactional engagement.
- Invest resources in long-term, consistent, and strategic engagement built around trusting relationships in communities.
- Focus commitments on the long-term to create the greatest benefit through actions developed together with communities.
Case Studies + Practical Tips
Jump to:
From Engagement to Action - Danny McDonald, Gippsland Water and Nicole Sexton, Barwon Water
What We Heard
We heard about the results of good engagement with a focus on developing organisational cultural intelligence and a commitment to better practice engagement principles.
As part of their 2023–2028 Price Submission to the Essential Services Commission both Barwon Water and Gippsland included ambitious commitments to First Nations customers and communities by ensuring outcomes within their corporate strategy.
Barwon Water and Gippsland Water share their process of moving from engagement to investment and building key performance indicators (KPIs) for First Nations customers and communities into their corporate goals and strategy.
What We Learnt
- Co-design both the engagement and the outcomes with First Nations customers and communities.
- Develop the ‘golden thread’ that entwines how the engagements become real investment and commitments in your plan.
‘Consent is a significant element of the decision making process obtained through genuine consultation and participation. …the duty to obtain the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples is not only a procedural process but a substantive mechanism to ensure the respect of Indigenous Peoples’ rights.’ - AIATSIS
Transgrid’s Yura Ngura Indigenous Advisory Team - Sherrie Anderson, Transgrid
What We Heard
We heard how the Yura Ngura (meaning People and Places) Indigenous Advisory Team are committed to driving reconciliation through inclusive and respectful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the communities Transgrid operates in.
Connecting community leaders with business leaders, the Team advocate for working in a culturally safe and inclusive manner that promotes sustainable development and community partnerships.
What We Learnt
- Work with Indigenous communities beyond compliance and industry targets.
- Focus on strengthening internal awareness, understanding, and consideration of Indigenous Australians within your business.
- Co-design with Indigenous communities and learn what to do next, together.
Building Relationships with Indigenous Businesses and Communities - Neville Hoehne, CS Energy
What We Heard
We heard about how CS Energy is actively committed to engaging with Indigenous communities and businesses by creating relationships, building pathways for Indigenous representation and contributing to local communities.
Engagement to date involves participation in events like Black Coffee, collaboration with Indigenous events and connectors with a strong focus on building genuine and positive relationships, taking as much time as needed to form these connections.
“I feel proud that our we are embracing this way of engaging and interacting because I can see just from the interactions with the conversations how nice that is, how collegial it is and how genuine those conversations can be."
What We Learnt
- Participating and engaging in local Indigenous business events can provide opportunities to connect, explore partnerships and support local initiatives.
- Proactive engagement, community involvement and the mutual benefits that can arise when businesses actively support and collaborate with Indigenous communities.
“It’s really about trying to make the lives of us and our children better as we go forward and trying to bring ancestral knowledge in a useful way to be practically applied with the many challenges that we face.” - Rodney Carter
Understanding Culture, Community and Relationships – Rodney Carter, Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and Damian Wells, Coliban Water
What We Heard
We heard about valuable perspectives on building stronger relationships with Aboriginal communities and reflecting on past experiences to provide advice for a more inclusive and sustainable future.
This discussion explored:
- Leading water and energy corporations in water and renewables strategy on Country
- Uncomfortable conversations, speaking truth and maintaining relationships with stakeholders
- Insights on integrating Aboriginal culture within organisations
- Showing authentic support for Traditional owner priorities and what this looks like in practice.
What We Learnt
- Recognising and respecting the journeys of those who came before to help frame strategies that incorporate the cultural significance of water
- The importance of enhancing cultural competency such as engaging in cultural immersion experiences and striving to incorporate Aboriginal language, visibility and tangible contributions into corporate strategies and projects can improve understanding across the organisation, sector and communities.
Leading Practice Principles: First Nations and Renewable Energy Projects - Glen Brennan, KPMG Indigenous Services and Mel Sutton, KPMG Banarra
What We Heard
The Leading Practice Principles support the renewable energy industry to deliver better engagement with First Nations people across onshore and offshore wind farms, solar, hydroelectricity facilities, new large-scale storage projects and renewable hydrogen projects.
We heard from Glen Brennan, a proud Gomeroi man and Partner at KPMG Indigenous Services and Melissa Sutton, Director, Human Rights and Social Impact at KPMG Banarra about the Leading Practice Principles including the development of the guide, the process and methodology, an overview of key findings and how the guide should be used.
"By incorporating these principles and practices into operations and decision-making process, you can not only mitigate impacts but importantly share the benefits and work in genuine partnership with First Nations communities to achieve the clean energy future that we're all striving for." - Mel Sutton
"This is about doing better, it's about companies mitigating risks and having a larger shared value where proponents and Traditional Owner groups all enjoy the benefits and value that these [renewable] projects create, and it's done in a way that's genuine with First Nations people included at the right levels and stages to make sure there's a mechanism to have their voices heard." - Glen Brennan
Who created this Toolkit?
The Energy Charter is a coalition of energy organisations with a shared purpose and passion for customers and communities.
Our purpose is to empower one another across the energy supply chain to deliver better energy outcomes for customers and communities. Our vision is that together, we can create a better energy future for all Australians.
Empowering one another to deliver better energy outcomes for all
The Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) is the peak industry body representing the urban water industry.
We are committed to anchoring our services to customers’ values, and enriching communities where water services have broad economic, environment and social values
Customer driven, enriching life
Have questions about this Toolkit?
If you have any questions or feedback regarding this Toolkit, please reach out to us! We’re always looking for ways to learn together and improve your experience with these resources.
The artwork used throughout this Toolkit is by Ngarrindjeri artist, Jordan Lovegrove, known for his captivating contemporary and abstract art. Learn more about Jordon and the artworks created for the Energy Charter in our blog.
We proudly acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and pay respect to their Elders, past, present, and emerging. We recognise and value the continuing rich culture and the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to the Australian communities.
The #BetterTogether First Nations initiative is a collaboration between the Energy Charter and Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA).