Changes to how Illawarra councils mark January 26 are likely in the new year, with Wollongong and Shellharbour indicating they will ask whether the community wants to shift away from usual Australia Day activities.
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While both councils say there will be no change to the citizenship ceremonies in the upcoming January 2023 event, they said there would be "further discussions" about the controversial national day, held on the day the first fleet arrived in Australia.
In recent years, there have been growing calls to change the date so it is respectful of all Australians, especially First Nations people.
Last week, the federal government updated the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code, permitting councils to hold citizenship events "on or around Australia's national day, as a part of their Australia Day celebrations."
Ceremonies can now occur on the three days before or after January 26, instead of having to be on the day. However, immigration and citizenship minister Andrew Giles urged councils to still hold events on the public holiday.
A spokesperson for Wollongong City Council said the government's move, which reverses a Coalition-era directive that ceremonies must be held of January 26, was "in line with the goals within Wollongong City Council's Reconciliation Action Plan and our commitment and vision to create an inclusive and connected community where Aboriginal people feel a sense of pride and belonging".
"However, as this announcement comes with a little more than a month to go until the January 2023 ceremony, we will not be making any changes to the 2023 event," the spokesperson said.
"How we celebrate or acknowledge Australia Day will be considered in further discussions in 2023 and in consultation with Aboriginal communities.''
Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer said he wanted to lead a community discussion about the date, recognising that it is currently not a celebration in Aboriginal culture.
"I am open to considerations next year, and having a conversation about how we go about Australia Day, and what we do on that day in consideration for our indigenous people," he said.
"We're moving towards reconciliation, with the Voices to Parliament and Makarratas (treaty) and all sorts of stuff, and I want us to be right on that journey in regards to helping the healing of the nation."
He acknowledged that this would be a controversial discussion, with any change requiring a council resolution, but said he was keen to bring along as many people as possible in the conversation.
Wollongong council said the January 26 citizenship ceremonies at the town hall typically attracted the largest number of participants of all the ceremonies held across the year.
"For the 2023 event we're anticipating 120 community members to make the pledge to accept the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship," the spokesperson said.
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Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
