Sydney's Inner West Council Is Debating Whether to Scrap Its Australia Day Celebrations
The Greens will bring a motion to a council meeting next week — but it's unlikely it will go anywhere.
Last August, Melbourne's Yarra Council made waves when it unanimously voted to stop recognising January 26 as Australia Day.
Now, Sydney's Inner West Council wants to follow suit, as it becomes the first in the city to formally consider dropping its Australia Day celebrations, with Greens councillor Tom Kiat planning to move the motion at next week's council meeting. The proposal is in support of the Greens' national campaign to change the date of the holiday, though, as The Sydney Morning Herald reports, it looks to be a futile one. It's likely Labor will block the motion, to save the council from being stripped of its right to hold citizenship ceremonies altogether, as has been the case for interstate counterparts who've dumped their own Australia Day celebrations in the past.
Councillor Kiat's pushing for an Indigenous-led commemorative event in place of the usual January 26 festivities, also calling for the council to stop referring to January 26 as Australia Day and to actively lobby the federal Government to change the date.
Labor's expected to vote against Councillor Kiat's proposal, in favour of an opposing motion by Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne (who is also Labor). This means it's very unlikely the Greens will get enough votes to pass their motion. Mayor Byrne's calling for Australia Day to remain on January 26, while also proposing an Indigenous affairs package, involving a $5000 funding grant for an Aboriginal languages pilot program and a memorial to recognise the Indigenous victims of British colonisation.
Via The Sydney Morning Herald. Image: Kimberley Low.
