 CFA acknowledges the traditional owners of the land and pays our deep respect to Elders' past, present and future. CFA is very happy to introduce the Aboriginal Engagement Guidelines. The Aboriginal Engagement Guidelines are intended to help CFA members better engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to improve knowledge and understanding and to improve awareness of the sensitivities that exist. They are part of CFA's commitment to improve Aboriginal engagement and inclusion. Back in 2014, Barma Brigade members took part in Aboriginal cultural awareness training and realised the need to be more actively involved with Aboriginal run events. Since then, every year, the brigade has taken the truck down to the local Aboriginal Danya Cultural Centre for the annual NAIDOC Week event. Our Murray Blair, I'm the Barma Brigade Captain, have been for the last three years, been involved with this brigade for about five years and with the CFA for over 40 years. Well, mainly we've been, as part of the community, we've been heavily involved with the NAIDOC days in July. Our brigade has a good representation out there every year and, generally, we just sort of participate with anything that may come up around the town. We live in an area which is very culturally significant for the Indigenous population being mainly yordy-yorda, so we just like to be active and be proactive with the community around here. When people feel included, respected and connected, they are more likely to access CFA services and programs and to implement safety measures. Rochester Fire Brigade members are proud to fly the Aboriginal flag on culturally significant days and leave it flying when they can as a sign of respect and inclusion. Well, pretty special for us in our situation. We took on the CFA's initiative through the Kia Plan and as a result, through District 20, we were able to hold a smoking ceremony here in this station and that is actually the first smoking ceremony in a fire station in Victoria, the CFA station in Victoria. So, we're pretty proud of that and as part of that day, we were gifted an Aboriginal flag from the yordy-yorda people and we've been flying that proudly ever since. And, incidentally, as we were handed over, it was introduced into the smoking ceremony, so it's had that special treatment. It's not as if it's just going by it off the rack. It's been handed to us by the Aboriginal people, so pretty special. I think those brigades that have taken on flying the Aboriginal flag is great. The flag is a symbol for Aboriginal people to give them some sort of status in which it has. Now, when we see that flag flying wherever, we know that we are welcome to go in and for the ones that are flying that flag, I congratulate them on making that happen because that is one way of saying to some of those non-believers that we are having a change, you know, to this organisation and certainly we're going to make a way in this state of ours. These guidelines are full of tips for engagement that can help your brigade and your district office decide what you can do locally. Be guided by CFA's values, be respectful, show integrity and work together with Aboriginal people and traditional owners. We had a really passionate member who brought forward some ideas in relation to recognising the local Watherong community. She was a really good artist and she put together a really lovely plaque that we've got on the front of our station. We eventually had it made in Brance. And it was just an acknowledgement of country, acknowledgement that the first Australians were here, are here. She made some connections through laying in Cal Cal Prison with some of the elders that are doing some work in their helping Indigenous youth sort of get some connections within their Indigenous culture. She brought that back to Brigade as a possible idea as to, hey, are you interested? We came to the conclusion and we got it off the line and came to an agreement so we'd move forward with the artwork. The artist that we've chosen, it was his first piece of art that he'd ever done and it's a really great piece of art and it's provoked some fairly good conversations. By building partnerships, trust and mutual respect, CFA can work together with the Aboriginal community to improve fire safety and improve how we use planned fire in the landscape. Indigenous people are very passionate about looking after country and at the moment with the way some of our rivers are looking and some of our forests, they are very, very sick and one way we used to heal country was through traditional burning. Traditional burning practices have been interrupted in most parts of Victoria. Even so, traditional owners and the Aboriginal community retain their connection to country. They have a deep responsibility to care for country and know that burning is a vital part of caring for country. You know, I go up to Northern Territory every year and I go to places where the traditional owners are burning country and they don't seem to have any problem. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are generally more receptive and willing to talk openly when they know that you have some knowledge of their culture. Therefore, cultural awareness training is important. I did the Jigajah program, which is an Indigenous burning program up north to Hellsgate. We did some cultural burning and got some education on Indigenous culture. Really, really good experience. Some really good people bringing back some great ideas and sharing together. The Kiap can open the doors to Aboriginal people. It can make a difference to certainly Indigenous youth if they're given the opportunity to be part of a great organisation such as the Country Fire Authority. Aboriginal cultural heritage sites are found across Victoria and are representative of over 40,000 years of continuous culture. Under the Aboriginal Heritage Act, CFA needs to ensure that no harm is done to these sites, even though exemptions are in place when there is an emergency. Page 18 of the guidelines lists the different types of heritage sites and places and the risk, fire or machinery can pose. Our heritage is vitally important of what makes up who we are today, what we need to focus on in the future, but also acknowledging the past and how we all need to connect on the continent that we call Australia today. Respect is one of CFA's core values and it's important to respect Australia's first people and to respect their affinity and connection with the land. We fly the Aboriginal flag to recognise the first Australians and I think that's probably the most important reason to be respectful towards the first Australians. Aboriginal engagement guidelines, it starts with respect and it matters to Aboriginal people. Visit www.kip.cfa.vic.gov.au