The decision by the Wollongong City Council not to erect a welcome sign for refugees is certainly understandable.

It’s just a sad reflection on the state of the nation at the moment.

You look at things happening around the country and thank heavens these sorts of things are not happening in our backyard, but then if we don’t feel secure enough to commit to a sign then maybe we’re not all that different?

Congratulations must go firstly to councillor George Takacs for his proposal. It was a worthy idea.

The councillor was drawing on his own experiences as a child of Hungarian refugees growing up in Western New South Wales.

However, several other councillors expressed concern the sign might have the opposite impact by singling refugees out.

Some councillors, including Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery, expressed concern that it might create unnecessary tension within the community.

The reasoning is sound and it’s hard to know for certain. The sheer fact it might is enough to veer away from it. Sad but true.

If there’s no real public tension do we need to do anything to provoke it?

“We haven’t had that experience in this city, and nor would I want it,” the Lord Mayor said of the racial tension which has erupted in other Australian cities.

“I would hate to have a sign that welcomes refugees on those big coloured boards – one at Waterfall, one on Picton Road and elsewhere – because I could see it happening that some redneck… using it as a opportunity to deface such a sign.

“I don’t want a bit of rag hanging up in the streets of Wollongong indicating that we welcome refugees, I just want it to be built into psyche and reinforce that its part of our ethos.”

We know the city of Wollongong was built and forged with immigrant workers – you’d like to think it would be above any such trouble.

“Placing a banner would give heart to the refugees in our community and a message to the community that Wollongong council and the community care about people,” Refugee Action Collective Illawarra Margaret Perrott  said.

We agree Margaret. It’s a crying shame we feel we can’t follow this through.