TUSA is committed to the process of developing a Reconciliation Action Plan.
The purpose of TUSA’s Reconciliation Action Plan is to begin the long but essential process of acknowledging and addressing the harm caused to Tasmanian Aboriginal people, past and present, and to take meaningful, sustained steps towards reconciliation. We recognise our role within a system that has historically excluded and marginalised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, and we commit to changing that by building a student community that is inclusive, respectful, and culturally informed.
This work is about more than symbolism, it’s about truth-telling, walking together, and ensuring that all students, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, feel safe, supported and seen. By aligning our efforts with our values of being bold, kind, effective, connected and student-led, we hope to embed reconciliation into the very fabric of TUSA’s identity and actions.
Through the RAP, we aim to strengthen our connections with Aboriginal communities, reduce colonial loads on Aboriginal staff and students, and help pave the way for a more culturally safe and just university environment. This journey is also about learning: gaining knowledge of Tasmanian Aboriginal history, culture and law, and amplifying the voices and leadership of Aboriginal peoples within our governance, decision-making, and student life. We do this because it is morally right, because it builds stronger communities, and because it leaves a legacy of equity, inclusion and understanding for the generations to come.
The RAP is not a destination, but the beginning of an ongoing, evolving commitment, one that helps all of us, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, to come together in shared purpose and build something better, together.
Our reconciliation journey – from the past into the present
The Tasmanian University Union (now the TUSA) has been the peak student representative body at the University of Tasmania since 1899. However, the TUSA is at the very beginning of its reconciliation journey.
In December 2024, the TUSA Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group (RAPWG) was formed. The RAPWG consists of the TUSA General Manager and the TUSA Equity President, and a cross-section of representation across all areas of our student representative council and business. Through participation in our RAPWG workshops, we have come to understand that TUSA historically perpetuated the myth that there were no Aboriginal people left in Tasmania. That erasure is unacceptable. As an organisation, we must sit with the uncomfortable truth of our role in colonisation and make a deep and genuine commitment to reconciliation.
The TUSA acknowledges the important role of the Riawunna Centre for Aboriginal Education and the value of our past collaborations — including cultural awareness workshops, NAIDOC Week events, and student bursaries. We remain committed to strengthening our relationship with Riawunna in a respectful and purposeful way as part of our reconciliation journey. In 2024, the TUSA established a permanent State Council Equity Committee, including a First Nations Equity Officer, which is made up of dedicated students with lived experience in the equity demographics they represent. However, the Equity Committee has not been able to fill the First Nations Equity Officer position consistently since its inception. We need to examine the reasons for this and identify ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can engage with our organisation in a more meaningful way.
Developing a RAP is a critical step in our reconciliation journey and will build on the foundations we have started to amplify the voices of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The TUSA has previously made public statements on issues affecting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, including supporting the call to change the date of Australia Day celebrations in 2022, and endorsing the YES movement in the 2023 Voice to Parliament Referendum following consultation with Riawunna. But we know we need to do more. This RAP is our formal commitment to turning past lessons into present actions, guided by truth-telling, mutual respect and ensuring that the student voice is at our heart.
As the peak representative body for students at the University of Tasmania, it is our responsibility to acknowledge the history of colonisation within our community, protect the Country on which our campuses are based, and make sure that we are truly representative of Aboriginal and Torres Islander students. To do this, we will seek to build upon our relationships within the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community and engage in meaningful rather than tokenistic ways. We know this takes time.
Our approach in developing this RAP is to create a living document that reflects our TUSA values of Student-Led, Connected, Bold, Effective and Kind. As we begin this journey, we are committed to remaining accountable, providing regular updates to our community both on our failures and achievements, acknowledging that there are still many things for us to learn and we may not get it right the first time. We look forward to embracing uncertainty along this journey as we deliver on our first iteration of RAP commitments.
TUSA RAP Commissioned Artwork
As part of this journey, we are inviting proposals from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artists and designers based in lutruwita/Tasmania to create an artwork that reflects TUSA’s values, intent, and future direction. Preference will be given to Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) artists based anywhere in Australia during the selection process. We see this as a collaborative and community-building opportunity — one where the artist’s creative vision, cultural expression, and storytelling are central. We are committed to supporting each artist’s process and practice, and we welcome different ways of knowing, sharing, and creating.
Important Dates
- Applications close: Monday 18 August 2025
- Final design from selected artist due: Friday 31 October 2025