The Governor of NSW and Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, has arrived in Port Macquarie for a regional visit which will include civic events to acknowledge the emergency efforts during the devastating floods in May 2025.
Mayor Adam Roberts and Port Macquarie Hastings Council (PMHC) hosted Her Excellency and her husband Mr Dennis Wilson at two events during their Vice-Regal tour of the Mid North Coast between 23 and 26 July.
In his official speech, the Mayor said he was "honoured" to have the Governor attend the first of the civic events at Port Macquarie Hastings Council Chambers on Thursday afternoon.
"Having Her Excellency visit means a great deal to our community and our region. Council's event today represents one of the largest gatherings of local area OAM recipients, showcasing the fabulous people who support our community," Mayor Roberts said.
"The last time Her Excellency visited the region was back in 2021 following a significant flooding event. On that visit Her Excellency had the opportunity to inspect the impacts of the flood damage which adversely affected our region.
"During the floods we experienced in May last year, Her Excellency contacted me to offer words of encouragement and her sincere concern, support and best wishes for our region.
"That support was appreciated and we are honoured to have Her Excellency follow up with an official visit again this week.
""The good news is we've made significant progress. Working alongside our community, we've restored services, repaired damaged infrastructure, cleared roads and bridges and focused on rebuilding back smarter so our region is better prepared for the future.
"Like many regional communities, the people of the Port Macquarie Hastings are incredibly resilient. Time and again, we've seen our community come together, support one another and emerge stronger from every challenge we've faced."
Attendees at the afternoon tea included Reverend Cannon, Dr John Barrett, former Mayor of Port Macquarie Hastings, Mayor Kinne Ring of Kempsey Shire Council, Federal MP for Lyne Alison Penfold, NSW MP for Oxley Michael Kemp, NSW MP for Port Macquarie, Robert Dwyer, PMHC General Manager Robert Fish, Mid North Coast Police District Commander Superintendent Shane Cribb and Birpai Elder Uncle Bill O'Brien who did the Welcome to Country.
Tomorrow morning, the Mayor, Mr Fish and senior emergency service personnel will welcome Her Excellency to the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to acknowledge those who worked around the clock during the May 2025 floods.
During their visit, the Vice-Regal couple will make a brief appearance at the Luminosity Youth Summit, , meet local school students in Comboyne and Port Macquarie, visit health and community support services, attend a local rugby union match and see a musical performance at the Glasshouse.
