Playford becomes second council to stop reading Acknowledgement of Country at meetings

Another South Australian council has voted to stop reading out an Acknowledgement of Country at its meetings.

Playford has become the second council this month to stop reading out an Acknowledgement of Country following a lengthy “culture wars” debate between councillors.

At its meeting on Tuesday night, the council spent nearly 40 minutes discussing a motion to revoke its policy of reading out the Acknowledgement at the start of every meeting.

The motion added that, on special occasions such as council swearing-in ceremonies, the Acknowledgement of Country should be read alongside an acknowledgement of “the people, our forebears, that have contributed in building and defending our great country”.

Both acknowledgments will also appear on the council’s website.

Councillor David Kerrison, who introduced the motion, said the current arrangement of reading the Acknowledgement of Country at every meeting is “going overboard”.

“I listen to the younger generation who attend university and colleges – it’s being read out before every lecture,” he said.

“I think it’s gone a little too far and, for me, I also don’t think it’s balanced.”

Deputy Mayor Peter Rentoulis congratulated Cr Kerrison on his motion.

“It takes courage to do this because some people in the community, in society would see this as some sort of racist attack and that’s far from what this is,” he said.

Playford Council passed the motion at its meeting on Tuesday night. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Morgan Sette

“This motion, in my view, gives more meaning to the actual intent because it’s no longer an empty vessel in a sense, it’s no longer a token gesture and that’s what my view is at the moment.”

Councillor Rebecca Vandepeear said the Acknowledgement of Country is a sign of respect, and dismissed the motion as a waste of time.

“Councillor Kerrison talks about the inefficiency of reading out an acknowledgement of country in council meetings and university lectures, yet we’re spending a significant amount of time debating culture wars right now,” she said.

“We are in the aftermath of a significant rain and flash-flooding event, which has downed trees, flooded streets, damaged homes and left people without power.

“There are people out there sandbagging their homes right now while Councillor Kerrison is sandbagging his great country, as he likes to say.”

She voted against the motion, along with councillors Akram Arifi and Chantelle Karlsen.

It comes after the Northern Areas Council, in the Mid North, also passed a motion this month to stop reading an Acknowledgement of Country at meetings and remove it from official council correspondence.