Woolyungah Partners with the Australian Electoral Commission

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For the past year, Woolyungah Indigenous Centre (WIC) has been in partnership with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), working alongside Sharon Bloxsome, Senior Engagement Officer.

The AEC aims to close the enrolment gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and strengthen engagement with local organisations to ensure services are accessible and culturally appropriate.

A key priority is building electoral awareness and increasing participation within Indigenous communities.

The AEC’s approach focuses on working closely with communities and organisations. This includes supporting individuals to enrol, explaining the importance of voting, developing accessible information resources, and promoting employment opportunities during election periods.

As part of this partnership, the AEC delivers training sessions to WIC Student Ambassadors. These sessions equip ambassadors with accurate information about enrolling and voting, enabling them to confidently engage with community members.

Ambassadors promote AEC initiatives and yarn with community at events such as career expos and local gatherings.

During this year’s O-Week, Sharon Bloxsome collaborated with WIC to host an AEC stall alongside the WIC information stall. The AEC actively promoted electoral participation, engaging not only with Indigenous students but also with the broader University of Wollongong student community about the importance of enrolling to vote.

WIC and the AEC have several upcoming community engagement activities planned, including “Yarn and Learn” sessions with local Aboriginal organisations, and “Deadly Democracy” yarns with Year 11 and 12 students.

For further information please visit AEC or to Enrol to Vote