Our Commitment to Country

At Illawarra Urgent Response, our connection to community begins with our respect for Country.

As a proudly locally owned organisation, we acknowledge the Wodi Wodi people of the Dharawal Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters and skies of the Illawarra on which we live, work and serve.

We pay our deepest respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Our commitment to Country is more than an acknowledgement at the beginning of an event or words written on our website. It is a commitment to respect, to listen, to learn and to recognise the continuing connection Aboriginal people have with Country, culture, family and community.

Every community event we support, every person we care for and every place in which we provide our services exists on Country that Aboriginal people have cared for since time immemorial.

As we travel across the Illawarra, we remind ourselves that beneath the fig trees, the concrete and the asphalt, this was, is and always will be Aboriginal land.

Those words remind us that while the landscape around us may change, the history beneath our feet does not disappear. Country remembers. Culture continues. Connection remains.

We recognise the strength, resilience, knowledge and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and particularly the continuing contribution of Aboriginal communities throughout the Illawarra.

Our commitment is to build genuine relationships rather than simply speak about them. We will continue to listen to Aboriginal voices, participate in and support Aboriginal community events, encourage culturally safe practices within our organisation, and ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who interact with Illawarra Urgent Response are treated with dignity, compassion and respect.

We recognise that we will not always have all the answers. Our responsibility is to remain willing to listen, willing to learn and willing to do better.

For Illawarra Urgent Response, caring for our community and respecting Country go hand in hand.

We are privileged to live here.
We are privileged to work here.
We are privileged to serve here.

And we will never forget the Country upon which we do so.

For Community. For Country. Always and Forever.