Introduction to our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
The Tasmanian University Student Association (TUSA) is proud to launch our first Reconciliation Action Plan (Reflect), marking an important step in our commitment to truth-telling, cultural safety, and building genuine relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As the peak representative body for students at UTAS, we recognise that our history includes silences and missed opportunities to stand alongside Tasmanian Aboriginal communities. This plan is both an acknowledgment of that truth and a commitment to doing better, guided by respect, learning, and the knowledge that reconciliation is a shared responsibility that requires sustained, meaningful action.
Our RAP outlines how TUSA will embed reconciliation across our work through the pillars of Relationships, Respect, Opportunities and Governance. It sets out practical steps for strengthening partnerships with Aboriginal organisations, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, creating culturally safe environments, and ensuring that Aboriginal voices help shape the decisions that affect our community. This is only the beginning of a long journey, but it reflects our values of being bold, kind, effective, connected and student-led. We invite every student, staff member and partner to join us in this work; to listen, to learn, and to walk together as we build a more just, inclusive and culturally informed future at UTAS.
Reconciliation Action Plan
Our RAP document is currently in the final stages of approval, and will be available soon.
Our Reconciliation Journey
TUSA has a long history as the peak student representative body at the University of Tasmania, but we are still at the very beginning of our reconciliation journey. For too long, our organisation was silent at times when we should have stood with Tasmanian Aboriginal people. In the past, TUSA even contributed to the harmful myth that there were no Aboriginal peoples left in Tasmania. Acknowledging this truth is essential to how we move forward.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan (Reflect) is our commitment to doing better. It marks a shift toward truth-telling, cultural humility, and meaningful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across both our Tasmanian campuses and our Rozelle campus on Gadigal Country in Sydney.
How We Began This Work
In December 2024, TUSA formed its Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group — a mix of student leaders and staff who help guide this work across every part of our organisation. Together, we have reflected deeply on our past, examined our own practices, and considered how TUSA can better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
We acknowledge the longstanding contribution of the Riawunna Centre for Aboriginal Education and our past collaborations in cultural learning, NAIDOC Week events, and student support. Strengthening our relationship with Riawunna remains a priority as we build a culturally safe, student-led community.
Our Commitment Moving Forward
This RAP is a practical roadmap for change, grounded in TUSA’s values of being Student-Led, Connected, Bold, Effective, and Kind. It focuses on:
- Building genuine partnerships with Tasmanian Aboriginal communities
- Creating culturally safe environments across all our campuses, including Rozelle
- Amplifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in student leadership and decision-making
- Supporting truth-telling and cultural learning for all students and staff
- Holding ourselves publicly accountable as we grow and learn
This is not a one-off document. It is a living commitment that will evolve with guidance, feedback, and shared responsibility.
Our History & Actions So Far
TUSA has taken steps toward reconciliation in recent years, including supporting the call to change the date of Australia Day in 2022 and endorsing the YES campaign for the 2023 Voice to Parliament following consultation with Riawunna. These actions matter, but they are not enough on their own.
The RAP formalises our commitment to move from symbolic support to sustained, meaningful action that reflects the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Commissioned Artwork: Weave for Reconciliation
As part of our RAP, TUSA commissioned a new artwork by Bianca Templar, a proud Truwulway and Bunurong woman and artist based on the banks of Kanamaluka/Tamar River.
Weave for Reconciliation draws inspiration from native Tasmanian plants and uses the woven basket as a metaphor for community strength. Each strand represents care, patience and accountability, values that underpin our approach to reconciliation. The artwork symbolises TUSA’s responsibility to repair and strengthen our “basket” so every student feels safe, supported and respected.
You can learn more about Bianca and the artwork in the RAP document above.
Walking Together
Reconciliation is not something TUSA delegates, it’s something we practice as a community. We invite all students, staff, and partners to engage with this work through learning, participation, and accountability.
Together, we can build a more just, culturally safe and connected future at UTAS.