Perth Voice Interactive

AS Australia Day nears some councils are embracing it, some are avoiding it and some are just not saying the name.

From 2017 to 2022 councils had been required by federal dictum that if they held a citizenship ceremony in January, then it had to be on Australia Day. 

That’s made for an awkward celebration for some councils caught amid increasing opposition from many Aboriginal people and their supporters to celebrating what they describe as “Invasion Day”.

Last year was the first time councils had been allowed to veer off the January 26 date for their citizenship ceremonies, following changes by the Albanese government.

According to the Liberal shadow minister for citizenship Dan Tehan, 81 councils around the country are now refusing to conduct citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day. 

Here we take a look at how our locals are handling the situation:

PERTH continues to hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26 (as well as other dates throughout the year) and is celebrating Australia Day with a fireworks and drone show sponsored by Hancock Prospecting. Lord mayor Basil Zempilas said this month that the prime minister should just change the date if that’s what he wants.

“By allowing Councils to make their own choice over the date for their events – knowing full well many of them will choose not to conduct them on Jan 26, he encourages other organisations to actively diminish Jan 26 also,” Mr Zempilas said on social media on January 11.

“If you want the date to change PM, lead that change. Otherwise tell everyone to get in behind Jan 26.”

VINCENT was one of the first to switch their January ceremony to another date in 2023, after lobbying the federal government for several years to allow councils that freedom. As in previous years, they’re not holding any Australia Day celebrations. If you’re missing your council-provided sausage sizzle, then Vincent staff and councillors are hosting a bbq outside the Vincent Street HQ on February 1 at 5.30pm. But it’s not Oz Day-related, it’s just to entice people to come along to the AGM afterwards. 

STIRLING continues to celebrate the date, holding an Australia Day breakfast at Des Penman Reserve in Nollamara from 8am to noon. It’s run by the Lion’s Club and there’s kid-friendly activities, with entry via a gold coin donation. 

Bayswater has sidestepped the issue for now, running a “Community BBQ Breakfast and Citizenship Celebration” on January 26 but with no mention of “Australia Day” in the event title.

The day is only mentioned in the finer text, thanking one of the sponsors, the National Australia Day council. 

In 2023 the council went out to public consultation on the thorny issue, with the council to consider feedback in early 2024.

by DAVID BELL