$450k spent by Australian government departments on welcome to country ceremonies

Welcome to country ceremonies at Australian government events have cost Aussie taxpayers more than $450,000 in the past two years. See the big spending agencies here.

Welcome to country ceremonies at Australian government events have cost Aussie taxpayers more than $450,000 in the past two years, as cash-splashing agencies racked up bills totalling tens of thousands of dollars for speakers.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the Australian Institute of Sport has racked up a bill of $47,000 in two years for Indigenous representatives to deliver welcome to country declarations at events.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet spent $41,801 in the past two financial years for 33 declarations, while the National Indigenous Australians Agency paid Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives $60,342 during the same period.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a welcome to country smoking ceremony at the swearing in of the Governor-General. Picture: Martin Ollman

The data, released to Opposition government waste ­reduction spokesman James Stevens under Freedom of Information requests, also revealed $30,896 was spent by the Industry, Science and Resource Department, while $35,618 in taxpayer cash was handed out by the federal Infrastructure Department.

Mr Stevens said while there was a place for traditional welcome to country ceremonies, “taxpayers should not be forking out half a million dollars for them”.

“When added to the enormous amounts state and local governments spend on these ceremonies, it’s become a multimillion-dollar industry,” he said

“Welcomes to country should be genuine and authentic.

“Spending millions on ‘Welcome’ ceremonies does nothing to address the challenges facing Indigenous Australians. This money could be better spent on delivering real solutions to Indigenous communities.”

Governor-General Samantha Mostyn during her swearing-in ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Martin Ollman

A Prime Minister and Cabinet spokeswoman told The Sunday Telegraph the department invited traditional owners or custodians to provide a Welcome to Country at significant events, “in line with our Reconciliation Action Plan”.

“This has been a longstanding practice for many years. All procurement is undertaken in line with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules in order to achieve value for money,” she said.

The department launched a new reconciliation action plan in 2024 to create “a future where the knowledge, perspectives and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are integral to all we do”.

One of the key points of the action plan calls for the department to “invite and remunerate traditional owners or Custodians to provide a welcome to country or other appropriate cultural protocols and services at significant PM & C events each year.”

The department first introduced Reconciliation Action Plans in 2015 under the former Coalition government.

A spokesman for the federal Finance Department, which forked out $6740 in taxpayer cash for just eight events, said the spending was also part of its Reconciliation Action Plan, and “demonstrates our commitment to reconciliation”.

“Inviting a traditional custodian to perform a welcome to country at significant corporate events builds our connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” he said.

The Attorney-General’s Department – which spent $21,684 on 41 events in the last two years – said it hired speakers to embed cultural awareness and understanding of First Nations Culture.

Originally published as $450k spent by Australian government departments on welcome to country ceremonies