The NSW Department of Planning and Environment would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this plan applies. We acknowledge and pay our respect to Elders past and present of the Dharug, Gundungurra and Dharawal nations.
The Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan (CPCP) acknowledges thousands of generations of continuous Aboriginal connection to the land that makes up Western Sydney. Aboriginal people hold deep connection, knowledge, understanding and custodianship of the landscape.
We are committed to working with Aboriginal communities in Western Sydney to co-develop a 10-year Caring for Country – Aboriginal Outcomes Strategy.
Draft Caring for Country Strategy
The department sought feedback from Western Sydney’s Aboriginal communities on the draft Caring for Country Strategy – Aboriginal Outcomes Strategy (PDF, 3.7 MB) from 11 November 2022 to 21 April 2023.
The strategy aims to:
- support economic participation for Aboriginal people
- promote Aboriginal culture and knowledge
- help enable Traditional Custodians and Aboriginal people maintain distinctive relationships with the land, waters, and sky in Western Sydney
- improve the health and wellbeing of Country.
What’s in the strategy?
The draft strategy is focused on 4 themes and 15 actions that have been co-developed with the Aboriginal communities of Western Sydney.
These fact sheets outline specific sections of the strategy that may be important for you or your organisation:
- Benefits for Traditional Custodians (PDF, 672 KB)
- Benefits for members of Aboriginal communities (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Benefits for Local Aboriginal Land Councils (PDF, 743 KB)
- Benefits for local Aboriginal businesses (PDF, 1 MB)
View a video of the CPCP Caring for Country Strategy information session.
What happens next
Thank you to everyone who let us know what they think about the draft strategy. We are reviewing your feedback to see how it can help us improve the final strategy to be released in late 2023.
If you have any questions about the strategy, please email the team [email protected] or call on 02 9585 6060.
Previous engagement
Since mid-2021 the department has been engaging with Traditional Custodians, Aboriginal Land Councils, local councils, Registered Aboriginal Parties, local community members, businesses, organisations, and service providers in Western Sydney to develop the draft strategy.
This work builds on our previous engagement with Aboriginal communities in Western Sydney since 2019 that helped us develop the final CPCP.
The consultation outcomes report (PDF, 5.1 MB) provides a summary of what we heard from community that informed the development of the draft strategy.
NSW Aboriginal Land Council Cumberland Plain Grant Program
The department is partnering with NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) to deliver a $1 million grant program for the three Western Sydney Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs) within the CPCP’s area: Deerubbin, Tharawal and Gandangara.
The program aims to:
- support LALCs to assess and manage biodiversity, culture and heritage on Aboriginal-owned lands
- empower LALCs to deliver cultural and conservation outcomes on their land
- build capacity within the LALCs to deliver natural resource management services.
To find out more about the program, visit the NSWALC website
Caring for Country Business Development Grant Program
The department is partnering with Yarpa NSW Indigenous Business and Employment Hub (Yarpa) to deliver a grant program for Aboriginal businesses.
The objectives of the program are:
- to support Aboriginal-owned businesses to build capacity and capability to ensure they are best-placed to capitalise on the opportunities arising from the early implementation phase of the CPCP and over the next three decades
- to support Aboriginal-owned businesses to become tender ready and have the ability to compete for future tenders under the CPCP.
To find out more about the program, visit the Yarpa website.
Applications for this program closed on Friday 9 June 2023. The department and Yarpa are reviewing all applications and applicants will be provided feedback. Successful applicants will be notified in early July 2023.
If you have any questions about the grant program, please email the team [email protected] or call on 02 9585 6060.