Geelong council Australia Day motion passes, divides opinion

Geelong’s mayor has encouraged residents to embrace Australia Day again in 2025, ahead of its planned return after a controversial council vote. HAVE YOUR SAY

New Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj has encouraged residents to celebrate Australia Day. Picture: Alison Wynd

Geelong’s mayor has encouraged residents to embrace Australia Day following a highly-charged meeting that saw council vote to celebrate the controversial event again.

City Hall is set to once again recognise January 26 as Australia Day following the Tuesday night meeting that has divided public opinion.

A motion introduced by Eddy Kontelj and seconded by Trent Sullivan was debated and passed seven votes to four in front of a packed gallery that had to be told to keep quiet.

Its key components include January 26 being officially referred to as Australia Day, citizenship ceremonies returning, and ceasing lobbying efforts for the federal government to change the date.

A report will now be prepared and presented to council at its January 28 meeting that will almost certainly be endorsed.

Eddy Kontelj’s Australia Day motion has been met with mixed opinions. Picture supplied.

Given the meeting would follow Australia Day, the changes wouldn’t come into effect until 2026.

The move would mean a May 2023 motion, which saw council vote unanimously to cease referring to January 26 as Australia Day as well as moving citizenship ceremonies to within three days of the date, would be overturned.

Eloise McCormack and Lyla Marinovic. Picture: Mark Stewart

Councillors Eddy Kontelj, Stretch Kontelj, Andrew Katos, Trent Sullivan, Rowan Story, Chris Burson and Ron Nelson all voted for the new motion.

Councillors Emma Sinclair, Anthony Aitken, Elise Wilkinson and Melissa Cadwell opposed it.

Mayor Stretch Kontelj encouraged residents to celebrate the date next year, despite the changes not coming until 2026.

“We’ve got a lot to be grateful for, and we should celebrate at every opportunity, particularly on Australia Day,” he said.

He said council had the option to call an “extraordinary, urgent meeting” ahead of January 26 to expedite the process, but it was deemed unnecessary.

President of Geelong reconciliation group One Fire, Vicky Grosser, said she was “deeply distressed” by the motion.

One Fire president Vicky Grosser slammed the move. (Renew Point Henry)

Ms Grosser said the lack of consultation with local First Nations communities was “deeply disrespectful” and “undermining” of people who worked on the six-month consultation process that underpinned the May 2023 motion.

“(The 2023 motion) was trying to create a space for everyone to actually be a part of conversations and learning,” she said.

“There was not a view that there should be no Australia Day, although some might think that.”

During Tuesday’s meeting, Eddy Kontelj justified his motion citing “significant feedback” from the community.

Eddy and Stretch Kontelj at Geelong council's recent swearing-in ceremony. Picture: Facebook.

One of Eddy Kontelj’s key concerns over the May 2023 motion, which he voted in favour of, was a lack of community consultation.

The original motion received 957 responses, over half of which were from First Nations respondents.

Councillor Emma Sinclair said numbers like this in response to a council engagement report were “unheard of”, but Eddy Kontelj disagreed.

“There has been significant feedback and concern raised by the broader community, particularly related to council’s decision to cease referring to the 26th of January as Australia Day,” he said.

“This feedback has come in all sorts of forms.

Eddy Kontelj argued the date was a matter for the federal government. Picture: Alan Barber

“The large majority of the community that have been communicating with me over an extended period of time have been strong in their voice, directing council to focus on local government matters and not engaging issues that are the responsibility of other levels of government.”

You Yangs councillor Chris Burson welcomed the change, arguing that the last council, of which he was not a part, had “cancelled” Australia Day.

“Why can’t we say Australia Day?” Mr Burson said.

Councillor Chris Burson welcomed the move.

Surf Coast Shire has not taken part in any formal Australia Day celebrations, and flies the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags at half mast on the date, since 2021.

The date has been a point of conjecture at the local government level across the state.

The public viewing area at City Hall was at capacity on Tuesday night, with a crowd of about 50 forced to stand.

Three uniformed police officers were present.

A large group met on the steps before the meeting.

The council decided, in the interest of time, it would not answer any public questions, instead deciding to respond in writing.

The first eight questions all related to the January 26 motion, each receiving a round of applause from the packed house.

Eddy Kontelj began to answer one of these questions, but was asked to stop.

Anthony Aitken asked if council could answer questions that were in relation to things not featured on the evening’s agenda.

“Could you just leave that to me, Mr Aitken,” the Mayor said.

A majority of the crowd turned their backs when Eddy Kontelj began to speak.

This caused a rift with other attendees, who stood up in support of the motion, with the groups exchanging barbs throughout.

Eddy Kontelj acknowledged that the motion would “not sit comfortably with a portion of the community”.

Councillor Emma Sinclair brought forward an alternate motion.

“I respect that that is the case, it’s not intended to be disrespectful to anyone in the community,” Mr Kontelj said.

Ms Sinclair introduced an ultimately unsuccessful alternative motion that would have seen the May 2023 decision upheld.

That was seconded by Ms Wilkinson.

“Good governance is not decision making by a Facebook poll,” Ms Sinclair said.

Originally published as Geelong council Australia Day motion passes, divides opinion