Aboriginal Development and Reconciliation Plan

Council has developed, approved and is currently implementing it's Second Aboriginal Development & Reconciliation Plan. This plan gives priority to the needs of the local Aboriginal community including increasing programs for young people & elders.

Council worked in partnership with the local Aboriginal community in the development of the plan, in return the Aboriginal community is pleased to see council's commitment towards reconciliation and both parties appreciate the two way process towards a common goal.

To view the current plan for Aboriginal Development and Reconciliation projects in the Gosford LGA click on the adjacent link.

• Aboriginal Development & Reconciliation Plan
• Community Services Home

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Skills Development Association. (NAISDA)

In 2006 Council's Aboriginal Development Officer met with the then Acting Director of NAISDA Dr Bob Morgan who was at the time looking at relocation prospects of the Dance College.

Mt Penang Parklands was suggested to Bob by Council as an available location and with the support of Council and the local Aboriginal community, Mt Penang won out over several other locations.

NAISDA has now settled in to Mt Penang with students commencing their first year on site in 2007 and have now made the site their permanent home.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Week

Council's NAIDOC Celebrations, comprises a Welcome to Country, local Aboriginal cultural performance, flag raising and a lunch.

Nunyara Aboriginal Health holds an annual community gathering at Gosford City show ground with around 2000 local's attending, Gosford Council's Aboriginal Programs Team along other Council sections hand out information show bags for those in attendance.

Walgett Cultural Exchange Trip

This is an annual sports & cultural exchange to Walgett for Aboriginal students enrolled in local primary schools in Gosford's LGA. Students who attended represented their schools in the Ricky Walford Shield rugby league & Jenny Wright Shield netball Carnival.

The trip enhanced our local Aboriginal students education by building self-esteem, confidence, cultural affirmation, sporting ability & fitness. The students visit such places as Lightning Ridge, the Aboriginal Cultural Centre with local's doing Storytelling & other workshops with students and the Walk in Mine.

The highlight of the trip is visiting Walgett Primary School with local students doing songs in an Aboriginal Language for the Gosford kids.

Indigenous Surf Carnival

Gosford City Council’s Aboriginal Programs and the Peninsula Leisure Centre put together a community partnership team, to develop a summer surf program targeting young Aboriginal people of the Central Coast.

This is the second year this event has been organised with Wyong Council joining the project this year allowing the whole community of the Central Coast's Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander families eligible to take part.

Agencies involved included:

• Department of Sport and Recreation
• Department of Education and Training
• Mingaletta Aboriginal Corporation
• Central Coast Aboriginal Men's Group
• Northern Sydney Central Coast Health
• Aboriginal Child Youth and Family Strategy