City of Melbourne leans towards changing Australia Day celebrations

Melbourne City Council is likely to campaign for a new date for Australia Day celebrations — but some events would remain unchanged.

Melbourne City Council is likely to campaign for the date of Australia Day to be changed while still holding citizenship ceremonies on January 26.

Options put to councillors at a meeting next Tuesday include lobbying the Albanese government for the change, which can only be made at the federal level.

A statement by the council said a survey of 1600 City of Melbourne residents and

businesses found that nearly 60 per cent of respondents wanted to see Australia Day celebrated on a different date.

Sixty per cent of respondents to a survey want to see Australia Day celebrated on a different date.

“Council also consulted with the five traditional owner organisations that make up the Eastern Kulin, which unanimously support changing the date,” it said.

If the move is endorsed, council will continue to issue permits for events delivered by the state government and other organisations on Australia Day, “while supporting activities that acknowledge First Nations perspectives of 26 January”.

“Citizenship ceremonies would continue to be held, incorporating First Nations elements, including an acknowledgment of country, and a community education campaign would be rolled out to help people better understand Aboriginal experiences,” the council said.

In July, when the possibility of not recognising January 26 was first raised by council, Lord Mayor Sally Capp said: “For many people in the City of Melbourne and across Australia this date is divisive, and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is marked as the anniversary of invasion and a day of mourning.”

An Institute of Public Affairs poll released last January found that 65 per cent of Australians backed the January 26 date.

IPA director of the foundations of Western civilisation program, Dr Bella d’Abrera, said she was astounded that the issue was a priority for Lord mayor Sally Capp and her team.

“While Victoria’s capital city is filthy and traders are struggling from the world’s longest lockdowns, Town Hall is spending ratepayers’ money on finding a way to dump Australia Day celebrations on 26 January,” she said

“You would think that energies would be better spent on addressing the council’s ongoing parlous financial state, rather than worrying about one day of the year.”

If Melbourne rejects the Australia Day date it will join inner city councils like Yarra, Moreland and Darebin.