| The MOU's key principles relate to the Council, the Indigenous community, collaboration and communication, employment and economic development, culture and respect, and social justice and equality.
Through the MOU, the Council 'acknowledges that Indigenous Australians were the first people on this land'. It commits to working with the Indigenous community and fostering cross-cultural understanding.
In furtherance of the collaboration and communication principles, the Council has established an Indigenous Forum (City of Port Phillip, Indigenous Forum, 2006). This is 'a formal mechanism allowing council staff and community to inform and contribute to the development and review of council policies, programs and plans' that are significant to indigenous people. The Forum replaces the previous Indigenous Advisory Committee, in order to better suit the time and workload constraints of members. Each topic or theme in the forum will have up to four meetings annually.
A key part of the MOU is the Indigenous Recruitment Strategy, which is now termed the Indigenous Employment Program (IICCLG, 2002). The Indigenous Recruitment Strategy was part of the earlier MOU, from which 18 traineeships were established. The 2002 MOU made significant changes to the program. For example, the Council now employs trainees directly rather than through a training company. | |
Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Port Phillip and its Indigenous Community 2002 - Full Text Document - ( 