Warami, Hello,The Referendum on the Indigenous Voice is fast approaching and it marks an historical moment for Australia, both for action and reflection.While the CBVA Board has no agenda in influencing your voting intentions, we want to acknowledge that our Club, in line with our mission, can and should be doing more to recognise the indigenous heritage of our ‘home’, Coogee Beach.This land, that we are so fortunate to play on every day, is named after a local Aboriginal word (‘koojay’, ‘koojah’ or ‘koo-chai’ or ‘koo-jah’) from the Dharug language. This was the language spoken by the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples of the Eora nation, the traditional custodians of the eastern Sydney costal area.As a starting point on this journey, we have added an acknowledgement of country and the traditional land owners of the land on which we play, to the club’s website and communication channels. It is only a small step, but it is a start – as we look forward, we hope to do more to promote indigenous inclusion and participation in our activities, as part of the wider ambition to give back to the local community that we are part of.We grow and evolve season after season, and so does our awareness of the active role we can play in our community. We are aiming to reflect on this as we revisit our long-term strategy and priorities (yes, maybe even pushing for lights to play at night 🙂 ). As always, your input and ideas are welcome and valued.With this spirit in mind, we encourage you to familiarise yourselves with the key details of the voting process as it is different from a general election. The following article is an excellent resource if needed: ABC News – Voice to Parliament How to vote, where and whenSee you on the beach!CBVA Board CBVA acknowledges the Bidjigal and Gadigal Clans, who traditionally occupied the Coogee area of the Sydney coast, and pays respects to Elders past and present.
