CHIA Vic Aboriginal Cultural Safety Training Project

October 2026

In October 2026, Professor Kerry Arabena facilitated a pilot Aboriginal cultural safety session for board members, executives and operational staff in Victoria’s social and community housing sector, hosted by the Community Housing Industry Association Victoria (CHIA Vic).

Since 1 July 2026, Aboriginal cultural safety has been a Performance Standard that community housing organisations are assessed against. The session asked what that standard requires of governance, and how organisations can meet it well rather than simply comply with it. The material was informed by the voices of Aboriginal renters in Victoria, by the CHIA Vic Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework and by Performance Standard 8, and was developed by Karabena Consulting.

The session ran as a pilot. Participants worked in small groups and recorded their thinking in a participant workbook, and that material will shape the final program offered to the community housing sector.

Key words

Aboriginal cultural safety, social housing, community housing, Performance Standard 8, board governance, executive and operational training, cultural safety framework, Aboriginal renters, pilot program, CHIA Vic