Refocusing Australia Day

The City of Whittlesea will no longer hold an Australia Day event as part of a broader review of all festivals and events to ensure they are inclusive, safe and best value.

At its 7 December meeting, Council resolved to continue with a Citizenship Ceremony on 26 January.

The Australia Day Awards will be piloted as Whittlesea Community Awards in 2021 and announced at an event held later in the year.

Chair Administrator Lydia Wilson said the decision to take a different approach to 26 January was multi-faceted.

It includes complexities around the 26 January date particularly for our Aboriginal community, summer risks with fireworks, rising event costs and evolving restrictions around gatherings due to COVID-19.

“Most festivals and events were cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions around gatherings, which has provided an opportune time to conduct a thorough review,” she said.

“We want to ensure they are aligned with our community’s expectations around cultural appropriateness, value for money, seasonal risks and community health.

“Council acknowledged that 26 January is a complex and contested date to celebrate Australia Day. We recognise this causes distress for many people living in our community, and we are committed to moving forward in a way that will build relationships and understanding.”

The City of Whittlesea has the second largest Aboriginal population in metropolitan Melbourne and Council has taken significant steps over the years towards reconciliation.

“We’re at a point now where we need to review our events on 26 January out of respect to our whole community, to ensure we can live our vision to make the City of Whittlesea a place for all.”

Council will host a Summer Series of events between 15 and 30 January across the municipality that will include movie nights and other activities.

Community consultation on future festival and events will commence in the first half of 2021 with outcomes presented to Council for consideration by July.

“This will give us time to hear from our diverse community as we shape our festivals and events to be inclusive,” Ms Wilson said.

“Council will also continue its program of education and engagement to foster understanding, awareness and respectful dialogue around Reconciliation issues in our community.”

Details on how to participate in the review will be communicated in the new year.

/Public Release. View in full here.