Reconciliation in SA Health

SA Health recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Australians, and we celebrate Aboriginal culture and heritage. SA Health acknowledges the ongoing impacts of our shared histories on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their health outcomes.

SA Health is committed to strengthening existing, and building new, relationships with Aboriginal peoples and communities, and engaging Aboriginal peoples in decision-making processes for matters that affect their lived experiences in the community and through the health system.

Reconciliation Statement of Commitment – SA Health

The Reconciliation Statement of Commitment  - SA Health (PDF 972KB) was introduced in 2026 and signed by the Minister for Health and Wellbeing and the SA Health Chief Executive and Chief Aboriginal Health Officer. It is a high-level statement of intent that drives the architecture for reconciliation accountability across our agency.

It builds on the longstanding SA Health Statement of Reconciliation, renewed in 2014, and reflects a strengthened, contemporary commitment across SA Health.

Aligned with the Department for Health and Wellbeing Reconciliation Action Plan, April 2026 – May 2029 (PDF 7.5MB), it provides a clear statement of intent to guide reconciliation accountability across the agency.

Statement of Reconciliation 

In 2020, the Minister for Health and Wellbeing and the Chief Executive of SA Health committed to the Statement of Reconciliation (PDF 7.22MB), which was distributed throughout the agency as a policy directive.

SA Health is proud to have a long association with two key Aboriginal stakeholders, the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA) and the Council of Aboriginal Elders SA (CAESA), in the development and renewal of the statement.

Taking action in reconciliation

SA Health is taking action in reconciliation by:

• developing and implementing reconciliation action plans
• working towards closing the gap on health disparity and health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, as part of South Australia’s Closing the Gap Implementation Plan
• establishing partnership agreements between LHNs and Aboriginal community controlled health organisations
• undertaking Aboriginal health impact statements to ensure that Aboriginal stakeholders have been engaged in the decisions that affect their health and wellbeing
• empowering our clinicians and staff with the right tools so they can provide the best possible services for Aboriginal consumers, for example through the Aboriginal Health Care Framework
• implementing the Aboriginal Workforce Framework 2023 — 2031 to attract, retain and develop Aboriginal staff
• supporting and investing in Aboriginal people through the Aboriginal Health Scholarship Program
• implementing the Aboriginal Cultural Learning Framework to improve the cultural competency of our workforce in order to better meet the needs of Aboriginal consumers.

Reconciliation action plans

Since 2006, reconciliation action plans (RAPs) have enabled organisations across Australia to sustainably and strategically take meaningful action to advance reconciliation. Based around the core pillars of Relationships, Respect, and Opportunities, RAPs provide tangible and substantive benefits for Aboriginal Peoples, increasing economic equity and supporting First Nations self-determination.

Reconciliation Australia’s RAP Framework provides organisations with a structured approach to advance reconciliation. The four RAP types – Reflect, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate – allow organisations to continuously develop their reconciliation commitments.

For information about RAPs and related activities in SA Health agencies and services, go to the following pages:

• Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network
  
• Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health
  
• Central Adelaide Local Health Network
  
• Department for Health and Wellbeing
  
• Eyre and Far North Local Health Network
  
• Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network
  
• Limestone Coast Local Health Network
  
• Northern Adelaide Local Health Network
  
• Preventive Health SA
  
• Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network
  
• Rural Support Service
  
• SA Ambulance Service
  
• SA Pharmacy
  
• Southern Adelaide Local Health Network
  
• Women’s and Children’s Health Network
  
• Yorke and Northern Local Health Network