The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we live and work throughout Western Australia and we pay our respects to Elders past and present.
DWER recognises the practice of intergenerational care for Country and its relevance to our work and working with the community. DWER continues to move forward with a shared commitment to protect and conserve Country for our future generations.
Reflecting on Our Reconciliation Journey: RAP Learnings Report
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) is proud to share its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Learnings Report, a reflection on our journey toward reconciliation with First Nations peoples. Guided by our Innovate RAPs (2019–21 and 2022–24), this report captures key milestones, challenges, and lessons learned as we continue to embed reconciliation across our operations. It highlights achievements across the pillars of relationships, respect, and opportunities, including:
- Establishment of the Aboriginal Water and Environmental Advisory Group (AWEAG)
- Creation of safe spaces and learning opportunities for staff
- Strategic partnerships with Aboriginal ranger groups and Traditional Owners
- Membership with Supply Nation to support Aboriginal businesses
- Integration of Aboriginal knowledge into water and environmental management
While we celebrate these achievements, we also acknowledge areas for growth — particularly in meeting employment targets, ensuring sustained, genuine engagement with Aboriginal people, and alignment of the Department’s operations to State and National policy settings. These insights have shaped our next steps.
From RAP to Roadmap: A New Chapter
With the successful completion of our second Innovate RAP in August 2024, achieving 90% of deliverables, the department is now transitioning to a 10-Year Roadmap.
While the RAP framework provided a foundation for reconciliation, DWER recognises the need for a more integrated, systemic approach to Aboriginal engagement and transformation. This shift is informed by progress reporting against the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which highlighted the need for strengthened accountability, and behaviour change within Governments.
This Roadmap marks a shift from short-term planning and reporting to long-term, systemic reform. It will guide transformative change within DWER by:
- Strengthening cultural capability across the department
- Enabling shared decision-making with Aboriginal partners
- Embedding Aboriginal knowledge and worldviews into core systems and policies
- Aligning the Department’s strategic priorities with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the WA Government Aboriginal Empowerment Strategy
The Roadmap reflects DWER’s commitment to walk alongside Aboriginal people with shared purpose — ensuring our efforts are not focused on an end product, but our ways of working.
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