Port of Hastings Corporation acknowledges the Bunurong People as the Traditional Owners of the land and waters on which we operate. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
In 2023, Port of Hastings Corporation (PoHC) began collaborating with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BLCAC), whose traditional lands encompass the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal project site.
The Bunurong People maintain a deep connection to the lands and waters of Western Port, a place of profound cultural and spiritual significance. The region is home to significant sites where customs and traditional practices are upheld, places where people gather, hunt, share stories, and pass on knowledge.
PoHC respectfully acknowledges the Bunurong People as the traditional owners of the land and sea country of Western Port and honours their enduring connection to land, waters, and community. We extend our respect to all First Nations Peoples, their cultures, and their Elders past, present, and emerging.
As part of our commitment, PoHC is working closely with BLCAC to deliver the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal project in a way that respects and protects Aboriginal Cultural Values. In 2023, BLCAC provided PoHC with a series of recommendations to safeguard these values, and we are actively implementing these measures to ensure cultural heritage remains central to the project’s development.
The project is currently in the process of delivering these recommendations, including:
In 2024, Port of Hastings Corporation commissioned local artist Vicki Thomas, a proud Palawa, Trawlwoolway and Bunurong woman.
“My piece depicts the varied marine life in Western Port Bay, and features Bunjil, the ancestor being, depicted as a wedge-tailed eagle.
The painting reflects natural life in Western Port, including masses of seagrass, jellyfish, turtles, seahorses, ghost shrimp, fish and dolphins, all co-existing in the beautifully fierce bay.
The staff at the Port of Hastings Corporation are represented by the large circle in the top left of the painting, symbolising their connections and responsibility to both land and sea.”
Vicki Thomas has spent most of her life living on Bunurong and Boon Wurrung country, with her husband, two children and eight grandchildren. She plays an active role in her community, connecting to her culture through her local gathering place Nairm Marr Djambana on the Mornington Peninsula.
Vicki has worked over 35 years in the beauty industry as a make-up artist, and through a chance meeting, Vicki met artist and mentor Nina Wright, a Kokatha woman, who inspired and encouraged her to expand her artistic skills into painting.
“When painting, I feel a strong sense of connection to my culture and attribute my strength and courage to warrior Chief Mannalargenna, my ancestor.”
In July 2024, our staff participated in a cultural awareness training day, conducted by proud Bunurong and Palawa people, Jillian West and Josh West.
The team were Welcomed to Country and learned about the cultural significance of the area and the waters in which the Port operates.
The team also enjoyed a morning tea supplied by Nairm Marr Djambana - Frankston Aboriginal Association Catering, an Aboriginal-led social enterprise that offers high-quality Indigenous-inspired food.
Our team is working with BLCAC to develop a proactive strategic policy document for the protection of coastal Aboriginal heritage.
This activity is still a work in progress, and more information will be made available as this activity progresses.
We are in the early stages of developing a place naming/language strategy that will seek to incorporate Boonwurrung language into signage relating to the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal project, as well as PoHC more broadly.
In January 2024, Bunurong Land Council’s Tarbuk Biik (Land Management) team identified, tagged and GPS located Cherry Ballart Trees with PoHC staff at the Old Tyabb Reclamation Area (OTRA), the proposed location for the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal
This exercise will assist Port of Hastings Corporation in identifying and where possible avoiding any impacts to Cherry Ballart trees.
