Mayor, councillor’s face-off continues over Mount Barker District Council’s funding of a Survival Day event on January 26

An Australia Day face-off between an Adelaide councillor and a mayor has escalated, with one claiming the other’s words have “harmed” Indigenous people.

The Mount Barker mayor says Aboriginal people have been harmed by the words and actions of a councillor who opposed the council’s funding of a Survival Day event on January 26.

On Friday, the council shared a Facebook post inviting the community to “respectfully mark” ‘Survival Day’ on January 26 at an event organised by Ruby Hunter Foundation, which it supported through a $5000 grant.

The post triggered councillor Rebecca Hewett to ask residents through a Facebook poll if they supported council funding the event. Out of 645 poll voters, 85 per cent voted against it.

But Ms Hewett deleted the post after Mayor David Leach emailed her, saying: “Your actions in the attached Facebook post are not acceptable and a breach of the behavioural standards for council members.”

Ms Hewett said she attempted to raise the concerns of ratepayers in the council chamber on Tuesday night but her statement was cut short by the mayor.

In audio of the council meeting obtained by The Advertiser, the mayor repeatedly interrupted a speech by Ms Hewett, as she claimed he had pressured her to remove the Facebook post.

On Wednesday, Mr Leach told FIVEaa he cut the speech short “ because I have an obligation as the mayor of the council to ensure that no harm comes to anybody by the words and actions of other people”.

A flyer for the Peramangk Watta Survival Day event. Picture: supplied

“ I know they have resulted in harm, because Aboriginal people who are my friends, and people that I met on the street, say to me that they are harmed by those words,” he said.

Mr Leach also disputed the Facebook poll showed a majority of residents opposed the event, telling FIVEaa: “ I’m very sure that the majority of people are content with the council’s policy where we have a community events program where we sponsor many items, and this is just one of them.”

Mount Barker councillor Rebecca Hewett.

Mount Barker Mayor David Leach. Picture: Dean Martin

He said his understanding of residents’ views was informed by market research.

Responding to Mr Leach's view she had harmed Indigenous people, Ms Hewett told The Advertiser: “What about the harm caused to Australians wanting to celebrate their national day?”

The councillor, who recently announced she would run for One Nation in the seat of Mayo this year, admitted she voted at an August council meeting in support of funding the Survival Day event.

“I fully supported them being able to run a Survival Day,” she said. “At the time, I did not know that it was going to be run on January 26, so that information wasn’t provided to me when I voted for it.”

Survival Day’ events draw attention to the British invasion of First Nations land, in contrast to celebrating Australia Day.

A council spokesman said a Survival Day in 2024 attracted more than 1000 people.

Ruby Hunter Foundation chairman Eric Richards said the event was for all multicultural people in the community.

“It’s for reconciliation, for healing, for our first people nation, and educating our younger generation,” he said.

Mr Richards said he felt the poll sent the wrong message to the community: “I feel upset about it, it shows Aboriginal people that we do not recognise an Aboriginal nation in this country.”

Committee member Vida Sumner said the event last year was a huge success. “There were all communities coming along … and they all commented on how successful it was and how they felt positive and understood who we were as First Nations people,” she said.

Originally published as Mayor, councillor’s face-off continues over Mount Barker District Council’s funding of a Survival Day event on January 26