City of Boroondara revolts on ‘welcome to country’ ceremony

A GESTURE to honour Aboriginal traditional owners has been sidelined by the City of Boroondara, in what some will interpret as a strike against political correctness.

Boroondara mayor Cr Phillip Healey. Picture: Timothy Burgess

• Boroondara police allay safety fears
• Not so welcome to country
• Plan to celebrate Aboriginal culture

A GESTURE to honour Aboriginal traditional owners has been sidelined by an inner suburbs council in what some will interpret as a strike against political correctness.

The City of Boroondara will no longer require the indigenous “acknowledgment of country” at the start of council meetings, but the council prayer will remain.

Most councils automatically include the nod to traditional owners at meetings and other events. But Boroondara, in the city’s leafy east, has voted to make its use discretionary to avoid it being seen as tokenistic.

Under a fresh code of conduct adopted by councillors, the mayor or acting mayor will decide whether to use the acknowledgment at council meetings, citizenship ceremonies and other civic events.

The code allows, but doesn’t require, the acknowledgment to be given at any indigenous-related council event.

Several Victorians councils spend thousands of dollars each year hiring indigenous community representatives to perform “welcome to country” ceremonies at various events.

Wurundjeri elder Ian Hunter says he is offended by the move.

Boroondara mayor Cr Phillip Healey said it was important to have an agreed set of words for an acknowledgment of country to make sure that it was consistent when delivered.

“More importantly, when the words are spoken they mean something to the speaker and the audience, and are not seen as tokenistic,” he said.

State Aboriginal Affairs Minister Natalie Hutchins said Boroondara’s decision was extremely disappointing, and her office had sought an explanation for the surprise change.

“The Victorian parliament acknowledges the traditional owners at the start of each sitting and I would hope other levels of government would do the same,” she said.

State Aboriginal Affairs Minister Natalie Hutchins. Picture: Peter Ristevski

Local Wurundjeri elder Ian Hunter said he was no black radical, but was offended because the acknowledgment was a sign of respect for Australia’s original inhabitants.

“It should be maintained. At least that sort of stuff is an acknowledgment that we were here and we still are here,” he said.

The gesture, which usually pays respect to indigenous “elders past and present”, was initially used by government agencies.

But it’s increasingly being adopted across society as businesses and other organisations adopt reconciliation plans.

In 2011, then premier Ted Baillieu caused a stir when he told ministers indigenous acknowledgments weren’t compulsory amid claims that Labor governments had been too politically correct over the issue.

[e-mail]

@JMasanauskas