Local Councils are strengthening their commitment to reconciliation and partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through new action plans and strategies launched during National Reconciliation Week.
Port Macquarie Hastings Council has launched its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), while the City of Coffs Harbour has placed its draft Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy 2026 on public exhibition for community feedback.
The Port Macquarie Hastings Council launch coincided with this year’s National Reconciliation Week theme, All In, with the council outlining a commitment to fostering a workplace and community that values and respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and contributions.
PMHC General Manager Robert Fish said reconciliation was an ongoing process focused on relationships and understanding.
“We recognise that reconciliation is not something we do once. It is ongoing and it takes time. It’s about strengthening our relationships with local communities, building cultural understanding among our staff, and ensuring that our work is inclusive, respectful and responsive,” Mr Fish said.
“Through this plan, we commit to listening, learning and working in partnership with the Birpai and Bunyah communities, and with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in our region.”
The launch also featured local Dunghutti artist Rachel Cross, whose artwork One Place, Many Paths appears throughout the RAP booklet.
“I am inspired by my family, growing up on a property in the bush, having a river running through the backyard, to now living on the beautiful Mid North Coast surrounded by beaches,” Ms Cross said.
“The ribbon is the red earth found throughout Port Macquarie Hastings. It also shows the strong connections we have to our surroundings and how we are linked with the water and earth.”
Meanwhile, the City of Coffs Harbour’s draft Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy identifies 38 actions developed in partnership with the Yandaarra Aboriginal Advisory Committee.
The strategy recognises the cultural, historical and ongoing contributions of Aboriginal people, while also acknowledging past injustices that continue to contribute to present-day disadvantage.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 5.7 per cent of the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area population, significantly higher than the NSW average of 2.9 per cent.
Mayor Nikki Williams said the draft strategy focused on building respectful relationships with the Aboriginal community.
“Together with acknowledging the past, the draft strategy has a clear focus on a shared path ahead, where the City will strengthen respectful relationships with the Aboriginal community,” Cr Williams said.
“It is a particularly relevant piece of work as local context is woven through the pages.”
The draft strategy includes actions aimed at improving cultural awareness, promoting Aboriginal culture and language, supporting events including NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week, strengthening relationships with Aboriginal organisations, improving Aboriginal employment outcomes and increasing Aboriginal supplier diversity.
City Planning and Communities Director Ian Fitzgibbon said many initiatives centred on improving engagement and inclusivity.
“Most of the initiatives in the City’s action plan are ongoing commitments while there are some which can be achieved in the short-term,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“Many of the deliverables speak to improved engagement between the City and the local Aboriginal community. It’s about building even better relationships.
“There are also a number of internal organisational goals designed to enhance diversity and inclusivity in the City’s workforce.”
Port Macquarie Hastings Council has also opened an Expression of Interest process for local Aboriginal artists to create an original design for selected council uniform items, with submissions closing on 19 June 2026. For more information, head to Expression of Interest.
Community feedback on the City of Coffs Harbour’s draft strategy is open until 30 June, with a series of community pop-up stalls to be held during the consultation period. Read more here.
Got something you want to say about this story? Have your say on our opinion and comment hub, North Coast Times Engage