UGLY feedback on Albury Council's plan to work with the Aboriginal community shows why the step's needed, a former deputy mayor says.
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Councillor David Thurley was commenting as the city this week adopted a Reconciliation Action Plan after taking submissions on a draft version.
The document is aimed at "providing real and practical actions to celebrate our strong and unique" Indigenous culture, according to mayor Kylie King and chief executive Frank Zaknich.
In response to the draft, there were two submissions deemed unprintable for the council agenda with one having "inappropriate or offensive language".
Another, which Cr Thurley referred to, stated the council was "just creating more division with your actions".
"I was disappointed to read someone wrote that 'why are we apologising for someone's great great grandparents who did something else to someone else's great great grandparents'," Cr Thurley said in response.
"This is happening still, it wasn't a hundred years ago that we were not treating our Indigenous people with respect and properly.
"So we need this reconciliation plan and I guess those offensive submissions highlight the need for this thing."
The plan was amended by councillor Ashley Edwards to also have the council call on the federal government to endorse the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
That followed Professor Megan Davis and Aunty Pat Anderson, Uluru Dialogue co-chairs, asking council to back a constitutional Indigenous voice to parliament.
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The pair told Albury that councils in Sydney, Lithgow and Byron Bay had adopted the principles of the manifesto which was "appreciated by the senior leadership of the Uluru Statement".
Cr King noted the national local government assembly, which she attended in Canberra, last week had supported the statement.
"It's just nice to know Albury City is certainly in lockstep with councils from around Australia when it comes to developing reconciliation action plans," Cr King said.
Other responses to the reconciliation plan included adopting an Indigenous name for the Murray River area being redeveloped near the Albury pool and a call for emu motifs around Thurgoona to reflect its Wiradjuri name connection.
Officers are seeking clarity from elders on the meaning of Thurgoona which has been linked to emu droppings and a diving bird.
There was also a call to use more Aboriginal people in council video and brochure promotions.
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