The department would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan (CPCP) applies. We acknowledge and pay our respect to Elders past and present of the Dharug, Gundungurra and Dharawal nations.
The 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.
Caring for Country Strategy
The Caring for Country Aboriginal Outcomes Strategy (PDF, 4.3 MB) aims to:
- 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
- support economic participation for Aboriginal people.
What’s in the strategy?
The strategy is focused on 4 themes and 18 actions that have been co-developed with the Aboriginal communities of Western Sydney.
This Caring for Country Aboriginal Outcomes Strategy 2024-2033 – Fact sheet (PDF, 1.7 MB) outlines specific sections of the strategy that may be important for you or your organisation.
Co-developing the strategy with communities
The department consulted the Aboriginal communities of Western Sydney in 2 stages.
Most recently, the department conducted a second stage of engagement with the Aboriginal communities from November 2022 to July 2023 before the finalisation of the strategy.
Refer to the Caring for Country Aboriginal Outcomes Strategy 2024-2033 – What we heard report (PDF, 6.3 MB) which summarises the outcomes from engagement with representatives of Western Sydney’s Aboriginal communities during this exhibition period.
Previously, the department engaged with the Aboriginal communities of Western Sydney from March to October 2021 to understand the priorities and opportunities for the strategy. This work builds on our previous engagement with Aboriginal communities in Western Sydney since 2019 that helped us develop the final CPCP.
The Caring for Country Aboriginal Outcomes Strategy – Consultation Outcomes Report (PDF, 5.1 MB) provides a summary of what we heard from communities that informed the development of the draft strategy.
Further information
If you have any questions about the strategy, email the team [email protected] or phone 02 9585 6060.
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 NSWALC.
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 3 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 Yarpa.