MIDCOAST Council is inviting the community to participate in the drafting of its first Aboriginal Action Plan.

“We value our diverse community and want to strengthen our relationship with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” said Council’s Director of Liveable Communities, Paul De Szell.

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“It’s especially important to us to support strong and enduring local indigenous cultures.”

Mr De Szell said the development of the plan is important for the MidCoast community, with 6.9 per cent of residents identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, above the NSW regional average of 4.7 percent.

“We want to begin a conversation with Aboriginal communities in the MidCoast about what’s important and how we can improve outcomes together across a range of every-day experiences.”

Mr De Szell said Council is keen to find out how the priority areas identified by the State and Federal Government are relevant for the MidCoast.

These priority areas are health and wellbeing, education training and employment, housing, safe communities and justice, inclusion and participation, and family and culture.

“We’ll also be talking to agencies who have programs in place to improve outcomes for Aboriginal people on the MidCoast, and finding out how we can work together to better deliver for our communities,” said Mr De Szell.

“We’re holding pop-ups across the region to encourage community conversation and participation, and encourage members of the community to come along for a chat with our Aboriginal community development officers.”

The pop-ups will be COVID-safe, with check-ins, sanitiser and social distancing in place.

If you’re not feeling well on the day, please don’t attend.

Alternative arrangements can be made to ensure everyone who wishes to participate gets the opportunity.

If you can’t make a pop-up to share your thoughts, there’s an online option to provide feedback. Head to haveyoursay.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/aboriginal-action-plan and either complete a survey or share your thoughts on the ‘ideas wall’.

There’s also an opportunity to participate in a focus group, if you’d like to provide more feedback. You can register to join a Focus Group on the above website link.

Youth engagement workshops will also get underway in MidCoast public high schools in February.

Pop-ups will take place from 10am until 12pm at:

● Tea Gardens Library, Monday 7 February
● Ruprecht Park Taree, Thursday 10 February
● Old Bar Library, Friday 11 February
● Taree Indigenous Development and Employment, Tuesday 15 February
● Purfleet Taree Local Aboriginal Land Council (12pm start) Thursday 17 February
● Wingham Central Park, Friday 18 February
● Little Street Baths, Monday 21 February
● Forster Cabarita Flats / Tobwabba Medical Centre, Wednesday 23 February
● Harrington Library Thursday 24 February
● Gloucester Billabong Park, Friday 25 February
● Wade Park Bulahdelah, Wednesday 2 March
● Nabiac Library, Thursday 3 March.

For any further information or to speak to our Aboriginal community development officer, call Hannah on 7955 7851.