PMHC releases Disability Inclusion Plan featuring Town Beach Mobi Mats

INTERNATIONAL Day of People with Disability on 3 December, was marked by the release of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s Community Inclusion and Disability Inclusion Action Plan for 2025-2029, alongside the NSW Government’s Disability Inclusion Plan 2025-2029.

The Port Macquarie Hastings plan is named, “Make a bigger circle”.

It originated from a community forum where a participant shared the statement that: “when there’s not enough room around the fire, we make a bigger circle”.

The vision of the plan is creating a welcoming, inclusive, and resilient community where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.

With one in five people in NSW living with a disability, the focus is on what is referred to as the social model of disability.

This refers not to the specific disability that a person has, but rather to the challenges they come across in their daily lives such as inaccessible physical spaces, attitudes and communications.

Removing or reducing these barriers and impediments allows people with a disability to fully participate in and contribute to their community.

Present at the launch were numerous advocates who spoke to the assembled group of community and council members about their lived experience, including Sarah Eade, a full-time wheelchair user and prominent disability advocate.

Sarah told News Of The Area, “the new plan is heading in the right direction.

“But there really is still a long way to go in terms of prioritising unsafe and inadequate infrastructure.

“I hope that moving forward there is more information flow between the Council and the Enable Reference Group.”

One of the high points of the day was the announcement by Council that Mobi Matting would be installed at Town Beach.

This project, spearheaded by physiotherapist Bec Dalzell, enables wheelchair users to cross the sand on top of the matting without becoming bogged.

It has been in the pipeline for the last two years.

By Rachael THORPE