SERVICES
Zion Engagement and Planning aims to come alongside the built environment industry to help build cultural capacity in working with Country, community and culture.
We specialise in First Nations engagement and cultural capacity training with a focus on supporting clients to expand their impact with First Nations communities.
PROJECTS
We work closely with our clients in developing a culturally informed response to built environment projects. We understand that there is an increasing need to partner with First Nation communities and work closely together to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for Country, community and culture. Our role is to support our clients in working with community and understanding how to empower their voice within the context of a project.
PROJECT PROFILES
Recognise Country: Guidelines for development in the Aerotropolis | Western Sydney Planning Partnership Office
Zion acted as the cultural and technical lead for the development of a recognised Country chapter within the Aerotropolis Development Control Plan and supporting guidelines. Building on engagement with the Western Sydney Aboriginal Community, Zion and our partners at GHD led an interactive engagement process to define how development within the Aerotropolis could embed Country, community and culture. Through empowering the voice of Traditional Custodians and under the support of Cultural Advisors, the team produced a ground-breaking approach to responding to Country and culture in planning and development. A copy can be accessed here.
The team won the NSW Planning Institute of Australia Presidents Award for this project.
Sydney Metro - Western Sydney Airport | Sydney Metro
In partnership with GHD, Zion was engaged as a cultural advisory to deliver a Connecting with Country project for the Sydney Metro - Western Sydney Airport project. Zion was the cultural lead for the project which included forming a Working Group and facilitating design sessions. The intent was to empower the voices of people who could help the project team listen to Country.
Greater Macarthur 2040 Plan First Nations engagement | Department of Planning and Environment
GHD, Zion and Waters Consultancy partnered to deliver engagement for the updated Greater Macarthur 2040 plan. Our team pay our deepest respects to those impacted by the Appin Massacre and the stories that exist within a cultural landscape within this area. A group of Cultural Knowledge Advisors worked closely with the team to develop cultural sensitivity mapping and a range of connecting with Country principles and outcomes. A broad First Nations engagement program was then undertaken to ensure more voices were captured and embedded into the Greater Macarthur 2040 plan.
Community Strategic Plan | Central Darling Shire Council
Partnering with Helicopter View, Zion supported a broad community engagement program for the Central Darling Shire Council in the development of their community strategic plan. Zion led First Nations engagement for the project, which includes Wilcannia, Ivanhoe and Menindee. Outcomes of this engagement was used to develop the community strategic plan to highlight the communities aspirations for the future.
ADVISORY
We understand that it can be challenging to access strategic support and advice from First Nation professionals working in the built environment. We offer advisory services to help our clients navigate complex challenges in working with Country, community and culture. Instead of scoping out a full project and deliverable, we can work flexibly with clients to provide ad hoc or ongoing advice and guidance.
CULTURAL CAPACITY TRAINING
We offer two cultural capacity training courses for built environment professionals. Our flagship training, and our newly developed Foundations training.
Flagship is a three-part training package for built environment professionals to inform working with Country, community and culture. Our training package can be tailored to suit your teams and reflect your projects. We provide an interactive learning environment supported by engaging resources for each module. During the training, participants will cultivate their cultural capacity and build confidence in contributing to First Nations focused discussions, as well as many other key learning outcomes. This is an online trainer facilitated course that is run over three days, over a three-month period to support individual reflection.
Foundations is a six-module training package designed for people working within the built environment industry, and is based on our key themes of Country, community and culture. Participants are taken on a journey through various parts of Australia and hear from custodians, elders and knowledge holders on different aspects that interrelate to our industry. Through interactive multi-medium disciplines such as video, podcasts, visual storytelling and resources, the participant will engage with the material in a non-linear format that culturally aligns with First Nations people. This is an online self-paced course intended to work around people’s busy schedules. However, we offer an optional peer group facilitation or trainer support package for assistance when booking groups.
Our courses have been designed with the built environment industry in mind, please see our training page for more information.
PUBLIC SPEAKING & PRESENTATION
Our team are experienced in public speaking and presentations across a range of platforms and opportunities. We frequently share our work with Country, community and culture through podcasts, conferences, radio and online webinars. Sharing knowledge and having a yarn aligns with our cultural framework and we appreciate opportunities to empower the voice of mob and our learnings.
