Across Australia, Reconciliation Week 2025 has arrived with fresh weight. This year’s theme calls for more than words. It asks for presence, participation and a willingness to listen deeply. In cities, suburbs and desert communities, the tone is shifting. Reconciliation is more than a token gesture, it is now a practice.

Schools are rewriting the curriculum to centre First Nations knowledge, and local councils are working side by side with Traditional Owners on policy and place. In the private sector, a new kind of leadership is emerging that brings cultural accountability to the boardroom table.

Power is shifting, not the spotlight

This year’s message is clear: reconciliation isn’t something to ‘do’ during a single week in May. It’s a daily commitment that lives beyond symbolism.

“Too often, we focus on awareness. But we need to be acting, not just acknowledging,” ARA Indigenous Services general manager Rohan Tober says. “Reconciliation means shifting control and ownership. It means being open to uncomfortable conversations and changing systems, not just narratives.”

For businesses and institutions, that shift means stepping back from the spotlight and making space for Indigenous voices, as consultants, collaborators and leaders.

Building meaningful, lasting change

From smoking ceremonies at first light to panels unpacking truth-telling and treaty, this year’s events have taken on a deeper, more grounded quality. At their centre is a growing desire to walk the talk.

“Reconciliation isn’t an event,” Gerrbik Laundry Services CEO Nicole Stewart says. “It’s about connection, opportunity and handing the torch to the next generation of leaders. A breakfast during Reconciliation Week isn’t enough. We need to be building something lasting.”

Tobler agrees. “If we’re serious, we have to confront structural change,” he says. “That means building long-term relationships with Indigenous communities, not parachuting in for projects or pilots. It’s the hard, slow stuff that makes the biggest difference.”

The work doesn’t stop here

Reconciliation Week is not a mere formality or a line in a calendar. It’s a chance to reflect on the road behind and the path ahead.

“It’s about real connection, real opportunity and real commitment all year round,” Stewart says.

For many, the hope is that this year marks a turning point – from words to work, from visibility to voice.

Because reconciliation, in its truest form, asks us not to celebrate, but to change.