NAIDOC Week Event Postponement

Published on 07 July 2021

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This week we celebrate NAIDOC Week, a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture, and achievements and recognise the contributions our Indigenous Australians make to our country and our communities across the Nation. This year’s theme is Heal Country, the theme is calling for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage.  

No matter where you live in our beautiful country, the land we walk, always was, always will be, Aboriginal land. We would like to pay our respects to our Elders, past, present and those emerging who support us and guide us every day. 

Due to escalating situation surround COVID-19 and the current uncertainty, the Shoalhaven NAIDOC Committee met Monday 28 June to make an executive decision about the Family Fun Day for 2021. The committee had many things to consider, including the health and safety of guests, contact tracing, gathering restrictions, legal and legislative requirements, social distancing, and sanitization, as well as partner organisation potential shutdowns and potential future outbreaks of Covid19 in our communities. With these considerations in mind: 

An official decision has been made by the Shoalhaven NAIDOC Committee and the Auspice Agency Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre to postpone the Shoalhaven NAIDOC Family Fun Day 2021. The event will be rescheduled for the September School Holidays 2021. 

A number of contributing factors lead to the Shoalhaven NAIDOC Committee making this decision but ensuring the safety of those most vulnerable in our communities was paramount to our decision. 

More than 6000 community members attended our event in 2019 and over 3000 tickets where reserved for 2021. Under the current NSW Public Health Restrictions, along with recommendations from local Police who are tasked with enforcing these restrictions, it is important the Shoalhaven NAIDOC Committee acts in the best interest of our community, both ethically, and legally. 

We understand that the Shoalhaven NAIDOC Family Fun Day is a very significant event in our annual calendar, and the decision to postpone was not one made lightly. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our project partners, and supporters of the Shoalhaven NAIDOC Family Fun Day. We have continued to grow our NAIDOC events in the Shoalhaven every year and look forward to celebrating with you all in September. 

There are still ways for the community to celebrate NAIDOC Week this week in a COVID Safe way. You could Virtually attend one of the many of the online events, Check out some music and podcasts from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creators on Indigitube or Learn more about the Country on which you live and work using the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia.  

You can view the full list of COVID Safe NAIDOC Week activities here