LOCAL DIRECTORY
COFFS HARBOUR & DISTRICT LOCAL ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL (LALC) & DARRUNDA WAJAARR RANGERS
Cnr Pacific Highway and Arthur Street, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
The Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land Council is situated on the North Coast of New South Wales and was formed under the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Act in 1983. The Coffs Harbour and District LALC was Constituted on the 2nd of February 1984.
The CHDLALC boundaries extend from Red Rock (Dirty Creek Range) in the north to south of Urunga (Oyster Creek) and also encompass Glenreagh, Nana Glen, Ulong and Fernmount east of Bellingen. Originally the CH&DLALC leased office space in the Coffs Harbour town centre before relocating to a purpose built community centre in Wongala and acquiring the Wongala Housing Cooperative.
Currently the CHD LALC owns and/or manages 55 dwellings for members of the Council within the Council boundaries and these dwellings range in size from 1 bedroom share accommodation to six bedroom family accommodation.
The CHD LALC is also responsible for the protection of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage as prescribed in the NSW ALRA 1983. This means there is numerous consultative processes with government and non-government entities and private land holders.
The ‘Darrunda Wajaarr’ means ‘to fix Country’ and are the only Aboriginal owned and operated environmental management team within the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area. Darrunda Wajaarr Ranger team continues our responsibility as Gumbaynggirr people to look after our country. The teams core business is to manage and increase the conservation values of Gumbaynggirr country. Using our knowledge’s and practices along with Western practices that ensure Gumbaynggirr people continue to look after their country, as they have for thousands of years.
BOWRAVILLE LOCAL ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL (LALC)
66 High Street, Bowraville NSW 2449
The Bowraville Local Aboriginal Lands Council’s objectives are to improve, protect and foster the best interests of all Aboriginal persons within the LALC’s area and other persons who are members of the LALC. This includes the management of 50 residential dwellings.
DORRIGO PLATEAU LOCAL ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL (LALC)
24 Vine Street, Dorrigo NSW 2453
The Dorrigo Plateau Local Aboriginal Land Council (DPLALC) was incorporated in 1999 under the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 to hold and manage land, houses and business enterprises in the Dorrigo Plateau area, and to protect and enhance the interests of its members. The DPLALC forms common boundaries with Coffs Harbour, Armidale, Grafton Ngerrie and Bowraville Local Aboriginal Land Councils.
The Dorrigo Plateau LALC is primarily involved in the preservation of Aboriginal burial sites, working with National Parks & Wildlife Service and other organisations on land restoration and management issues, and identifying land of cultural heritage significance. We are an active member of the Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance and have, and will continue to, contribute to Alliance projects and activities.
NAMBUCCA HEADS LOCAL ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL (LALC)
159A Mann Street, Nambucca Heads NSW 2448
We provided social housing for low-income aboriginal community members, we provided referral and support services for vulnerable community member
UNKYA LOCAL ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL (LALC) & CULTURAL ECO TOURS
2/23 Cooper Street, Macksville NSW 2447
The Unkya Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) was established during 1983/1984, by a group of local Aboriginal people, including local Aboriginal Elders under the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Rights Act (ALRA) 1982.
We are based in Macksville North Coast of New South Wales and operate Unkya Cultural Tours out at Scott’s Head which is a 15 Minute drive from Macksville, it is a beautiful little beach village.
Unkya LALC chose to operate our cultural tours from Scott’s Head because it is very culturally significant to the southern Gumbaynggirr people, as it is a significant component of our Gumbaynggirr song lines.
Unkya Cultural tours have been in operation since 2012.
Scott’s Head is where our creation stories begin of how the Ocean was made, our sacred mountain Yarriabini – Koala Dreaming is situated looking down over Gaagal Wanggaan (South Beach) National Park (which is owned by the Nambucca Heads and Unkya LALC’s on behalf of the Gumbaynggirr people.
Our cultural tours were created to offer customers an insight into the oldest living culture in the world, here in the Nambucca Valley the local Aboriginal community still practice our Gumbaynggirr Traditions, Customs and our Sacred Lores, which continues to be passed onto the descendants coming after us. We share with our customers and give them an insight into our belief systems and our deep spiritual connection to Gaagal (Ocean) which is our Gumbaynggirr Totem.
The local Aboriginal community of the Nambucca Valley are very proud of our unique Gumbaynggirr Language which we are so fortunate to still be able to speak and teach our future descendants to keep it alive, be responsible for continuing to pass on our beautiful language.
We are fortunate that our Elders had the foresight to record our language, and to continue to speak it.
The local Aboriginal community of the Nambucca Valley have a deep cultural connection to Gaagal Wanggaan (South Beach) National Park, which is where most of us grew up with our families camping, swimming, gathering bush tucker, fishing, going for Pippies.
Our camp sites are still on Gaagal Wanggaan (South Beach) National Park. Which now our local Aboriginal Rangers are responsible for the care of our Aboriginal Owned National Park.