Wigayi Cultural Park to be under community management
Published on 06 December 2024
Wigayi Cultural Park will come under community management after a Council decision to allow Wigayi Cultural Place Incorporated (WCP.inc) to assume management responsibility for the park.
Councillors voted unanimously to recognise the cultural and community need for self-management of Wigayi Cultural Park, and to see it is an opportunity for Council to recognise First Nations people's right for self-management of important places and ability to generate social enterprise that overall benefits all of our communities.
WPC.Inc became an incorporated body in February 2024, establishing their mission to:
Provide a space where the community can come together to share and learn culture from each other and embrace the diversity of the Macleay Valley, instilling a sense of community and belonging for all.
WCP.Inc's vision is to enter into a long-term self-management lease agreement with Council in order to:
- create a sense of belonging and hope for all who live in the Macleay
- remind each other of how much we have in common and embrace our differences as a way to make us stronger as a community
- increase understanding of our Traditional Owners and pay respects to the wealth of knowledge they have of the region
- provide a range of activities, events and cultural practices through community development and social enterprise.
Wigayi Cultural Park has had a long and varied history, beginning life as a reclaimed landfill site in 1980, and managed by several groups over the past 40 years, including Kempsey Urban Landcare Group, Macleay Valley Afforestation Society, North Coast TAFE, and most recently, Kempsey Shire Council Section 355 Committee volunteers supported by a range of local organisations.
Council is looking forward to working with WCP.inc to develop a management agreement for the park and to seeing it grow and thrive as an asset for the community.