Work begins to close the gap after formal implementation plan and strategy adopted by Tamworth Regional Council

Tamworth Regional Council will start conversations with state and federal governments and the community to build formal partnerships after unanimously approving a strategy and implantation plan with five targets.

Gomeroi man and councillor Marc Sutherland, who introduced the motion, said local governments have a "huge role" to play in achieving better outcomes for Aboriginal people.

This could be through helping organisations with applications for funding, or even through council's own employment and participation strategy.

"We have some amazing organisations here in Tamworth, like the Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service, who are doing a great job to achieve health outcomes," he said.

"By council providing some level of formal partnership, it creates an opportunity for organisations to be more competitive when they're applying for tenders."

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Council's plan will reflect the national Closing the Gap agreement which includes 17 socio-economic targets, and will involve changes to council policies.

Tamworth mayor Russell Webb said in the past, local government organisations have formed Reconciliation Action Plans, but they haven't gone far enough.

"To some degree they've worked, I don't think they've achieved what they set out to achieve," he said.

The council will now go to NSW Youth and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Franklin to discuss the plan.

"We will now go to the government and talk to them about how we can align ourselves with state and federal government Closing the Gap strategies, and how they may help us fund a program for our own region here," Cr Webb said.

Cr Sutherland said last night's meeting was a "monumental moment" and had been a long time coming.

"The reality is, here in Tamworth, an Aboriginal child that is born today is predicted to live ten years less than a non-Aboriginal person born at the exact same time," he said.

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