‘Fairy floss’: Cairns councillor calls out reconciliation document for failing First Nations peoples

A Far North councillor has labelled a Reconciliation Action Plan as “fairy floss policy” that will fail to improve the lives of First Nations peoples or establish meaningful relationships with Indigenous-owned businesses across the region.

Cairns Regional Council Division 2 councillor Matt Tickner and Division 4 councillor Trevor Tim.

A Far North councillor has labelled a Reconciliation Action Plan as “fairy floss policy” that will fail to improve the lives of First Nations peoples or establish meaningful relationships with Indigenous-owned businesses across the region.

But the region’s first Indigenous councillor has passionately backed the RAP, arguing that Cairns should be leaders in closing the gap, given its high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

Division Four councillor Trevor Tim says he supports the RAP as an important “gesture” to First Nations peoples. Picture Emily Barker.

Cairns Regional Council approved the strategy last week after extensive consultation with actions directly related to its operations and services to be undertaken over the next two years.

Division Four councillor Trevor Tim said the document represented a commitment to work towards reconciliation within the council.

“Well done is better than well said,” the proud First Nations man said.

“The largest rock on planet earth is Uluru, the largest living thing is the Great Barrier Reef and the longest living cultures (are ours).

“The document is a bridge builder. It’s an educator, it’s a term of acknowledgement. It’s a small gesture but a powerful one.”

Division Two councillor Matthew Tickner countered that the document didn’t go far enough.

“This is a fairy floss policy, high calorie, appears large in volume but in reality is made from a very small amount of sugar and has no nutritional value,” Mr Tickner said.

“It’s a vanilla, box-ticking exercise, designed for corporations like ours to say, ‘Look how great we are. We are doing stuff.’

Eight councillors voted for the council’s new reconiciliation action plan with two voting against adopting the document. Picture: Brendan Radke

“This plan provides little in terms of localised, targeted action that makes any significant impact to the community that we represent.”

The southside councillor said several elements of the new RAP would fail to make any meaningful difference to First Nations peoples’ lives, including:

● encouraging staff to wear Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-themed work apparel

● hosting and attending First Nations cultural seminars

● renaming Cairns landmarks with Indigenous names and

● further embedding Welcome to Country ceremonies.

“The renaming of a road, wearing a colourful t-shirt and paying thousands of dollars a year for Welcome to Country ceremonies is whitewashing the realities of the situation,” Mr Tickner said.

“It leaves organisations like ours pretending that we are making a difference when we aren’t. Numerous items within this plan will only work to further divide, spend and further progress the ideology of virtue signalling over action.”

It is understood that quotas on First Nations employees and amount of work procured from Indigenous-owned organisations were rejected as part of an earlier draft of the RAP, Mr Tickner said.

Just two councillors, Mr Tickner and deputy mayor Brett Olds voted against the RAP.

“It is important for our community to continue on this path. Reconciliation is about coming together,” Division One councillor Brett Moller said.

Originally published as ‘Fairy floss’: Cairns councillor calls out reconciliation document for failing First Nations peoples