Eddy Kontelj’s motion a first step in a bid to have City of Greater Geelong recognise and celebrate Australia Day again

Geelong’s council will vote on a motion that could set City Hall back on the path to officially marking Australia Day after it distanced itself from the date last year.

Australia Day has been a hot-button issue at Geelong City Hall. Now’s there a new twist in the saga.

Geelong’s council will vote on starting the process to recognise and celebrate Australia Day again with a motion to be put forward by councillor Eddy Kontelj.

The move on the hot-button issue is sure to spark heated community debate and comes after council last year unanimously voted to stop referring to the date as “Australia Day” and change the way it marked the day.

Under Mr Kontelj’s new motion, which will be put to Tuesday’s council meeting, council would:

NOTE the proclamation of the date for Australia Day is the responsibility of the federal government.

REQUEST that the CEO prepare a report that addresses the process for the recommencement of support for Australia Day and community events. Including referring to January 26 as “Australia Day”, commemorating the day via citizenship ceremonies and other events, and discontinuing advocacy to the federal government for changing the date.

Eddy Kontelj.

Last year in May, Geelong council resolved to shift citizenship ceremonies away from Australia Day and instead deliver formalised First Nations events.

These changes included referring to the date as January 26, rescheduling citizenship ceremonies, holding an acknowledgment, recognition and truth-telling ceremony, and hosting an Indigenous flag-raising ceremony.

In December last year, Mr Kontelj – who was returned to council in this year’s election – tried to put a motion forward seeking further community engagement on the changes, which he said had caused “strong backlash and concern”.

He said at the time his initial vote in favour of the changes had been an “error of judgment.”

But that motion was voted down.

In January, Senator Sarah Henderson hit out at federal representatives Richard Marles and Libby Coker over what she said was their failure to “protect” Australia Day.

“The undermining of Australia Day is all part of Labor’s covert plan to change the date,” she said.

Ms Coker responded saying she respected the right of local councils to decide how they recognised Australia Day.

Originally published as Eddy Kontelj’s motion a first step in a bid to have City of Greater Geelong recognise and celebrate Australia Day again