Australia Day: Council should recommence engagement, says councillor Eddy Kontelj

A Geelong councillor has lodged a last-minute notice of motion regarding the way the city recognises Australia Day.

Cr Eddy Kontelj in June. Picture: Alan Barber

A Geelong councillor has lodged a notice of motion, arguing the city did not consult the community enough before it changed its Australia Day policies.

Councillor Eddy Kontelj’s notice of motion will be heard at Tuesday’s December City of Greater Geelong council meeting.

The motion calls on Geelong council to recommence “extensive community engagement” for another three months, regarding citizenship ceremonies and referring to January 26 as Australia Day.

A report on the consultation must be returned to council by June 2024.

The Geelong Advertiser understands the motion has caused a stir among councillors, with concerns raised about it’s timing.

Mr Kontelj wrote that the council’s changes had resulted in “strong backlash and concern” from the community.

Geelong council voted unanimously in May to cease referring to January 26 and change the way it recognised the date.

On January 26, the city will now hold a midmorning acknowledgment, recognition and truth-telling ceremony in Johnstone Park, host an Indigenous flag raising ceremony at City Hall, among other events.

Citizenship ceremonies that would traditionally take place on Australia would be rescheduled to within three days of January 26, and incorporate more First Nations elements.

Mr Kontelj said that “a number of Defence Force Veteran support organisations and personnel” were offended and disappointed in the decision.

“They are particularly offended given the efforts and sacrifices made by all those who have

pulled on a uniform in order to serve and protect this great nation and feel incredibly upset

that Councils decision has divided the community and degraded all that our defence force

personnel have ever stood for and what many have given their lives for,” Mr Kontelj wrote.

In his notice, Mr Kontelj said that the engagement process did not generate enough responses.

“The final community engagement report back to Council included only 952 (sic) survey responses, of which 447 were from First Nations People,” he wrote.

“Unfortunately the survey only received responses from some 0.34 per cent of Geelong’s total population.”

The council’s decision in May followed a “comprehensive” six-month engagement process which included 957 responses to a survey and two community forums.

More than two thirds of respondents backed a change in the way Australia Day was commemorated.

The Kilangitj Aboriginal Advisory Committee, a committee that has been providing the city with cultural guidance on First Nations Peoples initiatives, supported the consultation process.

At the time, Mr Kontelj said the changes were not about changing the date of Australia Day, but of “noting and adopting” the views of the community.

“(It’s) about paying respect, further education and enhancing the way we have connectiveness in the community on that day,” he said in May.

Mr Kontelj has said on social media that voting for the changes was an “error of judgement”.

Western Victorian Greens MP, and former Geelong councillor, Sarah Mansfield said “the lack of sensitivity shown by this motion is frankly, astounding”.

“Councils all over the country are changing the way they acknowledge 26th January, and if Geelong were to take a backwards step now it would be shameful,” she said.

Councillors will vote on the motion on Tuesday.

Originally published as Australia Day: Council should recommence engagement, says councillor Eddy Kontelj