By Nolan Hunter and Debra Zanella
Co-Chairs of Reconciliation WA
In Western Australia, we are standing at a crossroads. As we look toward the state’s bicentennial, we must ask ourselves a blunt question: Are we ALL IN, or are we merely dipping our toes in the water?
Across WA, we see pockets of genuine commitment: Aboriginal community-controlled organisations leading the way, State Government agencies confronting the genuine systemic changes required, some Local Governments showing place-based focus and truths, and corporates shifting from glossy statements to structural change. But many remain on the shoreline. For too many, reconciliation is still treated as a project with a start and end date, rather than a fundamental, enduring principle.
When we lift our heads and look to other countries, we see that embedding Indigenous decision-making into the fabric of the nation isn’t radical—it’s normal. These nations demonstrate that the sky does not fall when rights are legislated; instead, societal progress accelerates. The sidelines are no longer a credible place for Western Australia to stand.
At Reconciliation WA, we believe that reconciliation was built to educate, build relationships and understanding, and encourage the transformation of systems that produce inequity. Our role is to prepare the community, build shared understanding, and create the conditions where deeper change becomes possible. Following the recent referendum and countless inquiries—from Closing the Gap to Productivity Commission reviews—this work is more important than ever. Reconciliation helps Australians understand why system-level reform is needed, prompts us to ask bold questions, and ensures that when the next opportunity for structural change arrives, it is met with broad public support.
We support structural reforms that can make a genuine difference for Indigenous people, and we respect and acknowledge the extensive post-mortem insights that helped explain why the referendum did not succeed. We are cognisant of the complex factors influencing the technical, legal, academic, political, and awareness-raising campaign positions of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We are mindful, however, that the majority of Australians who voted did not support the constitutional change. This considered, it is difficult to resile from the ultimate litmus test: we simply did not capture the hearts and minds of the majority of Australians on polling day. For us, reconciliation is inherently about the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and our focus remains on positively influencing people’s hearts and minds going forward.
Being ALL IN means moving far beyond the symbolism of morning teas. For a mining giant, it means genuine equity models and robust truth-telling about the land from which they profit. For a small family business, it means hiring locally and building deep, respectful relationships with Elders. While the scale varies, the core principle remains identical: reconciliation is most effective when it is woven into everyday practice. You cannot be partially reconciled.
For us, as Co-Chairs, being ALL IN carries a personal cost. For Nolan, it means continuously drawing on lived experience to highlight where systems must evolve, even when those conversations are challenging. For Debra, it is the unwavering commitment to remain ‘comfortably uncomfortable’—to use a position of privilege to shift systems rather than just sentiments, and to listen deeply rather than speak.
We must dismantle the narrative that Aboriginal people need others to speak for them. Being a true ally means creating the conditions where Aboriginal voices are centered, valued, and taken seriously. As Professor Marcia Langton has reminded us for decades, goodwill alone is not enough; it requires the courage of those with power to actively dismantle what continues to cause harm.
Some ask what risk we are inviting West Australians to take. We argue there is absolutely no risk in reconciliation; the only true risk lies in doing nothing.
If we keep hedging our bets, we will never achieve the social cohesion necessary for a strong, united nation. The cost of our current hesitation is stark: we see it in the shameful statistics that continue to impact Aboriginal people, and in the absence of collective empathy that allowed for the horrific events in Perth on Invasion Day. Without a deliberate shift, we risk a future where Aboriginal children succeed only by chance, not by choice. We will be relegated to a history that none of us will be proud to own.
A different path is entirely possible—a future where Aboriginal children and families thrive because systems are designed with them, not around them. A future where our shared history is fully understood, and our shared future is shaped with deliberate intention.
Being ALL IN means standing with Indigenous peoples every day, not only when it is visible or convenient. If you are ready to be ALL IN, start locally. Learn the story of the Country you stand on. Shift your Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) from a document of compliance into a document of courage. Ask yourself: How am I shifting power, rather than just celebrating culture?
Our collective future, our children’s legacy, and the very prosperity of this country depend heavily on Indigenous participation. We are inherently stronger when we stand together, but that strength requires us to finally leave the shore and dive into the deep water of true structural reform.
The time for dipping toes is over. We are ALL IN. Are you?
