Melbourne councillors say Aboriginal sovereignty call a ‘threat’ to Australia Day

A historic declaration recognising Aboriginal sovereignty has raised fears Melbourne City Council may ditch its support for Australia Day.

An Australia Day celebration in Melbourne.

Concerns have been raised that Melbourne City Council may ditch its support for Australia Day amid a historic declaration that Aboriginal traditional owners never “ceded sovereignty” to white settlers.

The declaration comes as the council seeks to pay $127,000 a year for a social inclusion manager to enhance Aboriginal employment and social outcomes.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp and council chief executive Justin Hanney will sign the “declaration of recognition and commitment” on behalf of the municipality’s residents after a council meeting backed the move this week.

An Invasion Day rally in Melbourne on Australia Day. Picture: Alex Coppel

But councillor Roshena Campbell, who was elected on Team Capp, dissented from the motion, saying she was deeply concerned about the implications for council policy.

“If it’s the case that it would prevent us from celebrating Australia Day, or compel us to support Invasion Day, those are not decisions that I would support,” she told the meeting.

“And indeed I’m not confident that I could say that every person in the City of Melbourne would support.”

Ms Campbell, a Liberal Party member, said she was also worried about the council making statements such as “sovereignty has never been ceded”, and doing it on behalf of residents.

The council usually supports Australia Day events, such as the traditional parade, but the state government event was cancelled this year due to pandemic restrictions.

Ms Capp was criticised when she attended an “Invasion Day” event held by Indigenous groups on January 26.

Surf Coast Shire is the latest council to dump Australia Day celebrations.

City of Melbourne indicated to the Herald Sun there was no review of its Australia Day involvement linked to the Aboriginal declaration.

Councillor Roshena Campbell dissented from the motion.

Greens councillor Dr Olivia Ball says Aboriginal people never ceded sovereignty. Picture: David Caird

A spokeswoman said the council was committed to advancing “reconciliation ... and building respect for Aboriginal heritage, culture and knowledge”.

“We’re working closely with traditional custodians as we plan, celebrate and invest in a shared future,” she said.

Greens councillor Dr Olivia Ball told the council meeting that Melburnians “live on unceded sovereign land”.

“Our First Peoples have been here longer than any of us can imagine, and have a relationship with country which those of us who are new here can barely glimpse,” she said.

Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, an ALP member, said there had been some opposition to the Bracks government’s 2004 move to recognise Aboriginal people in Victoria’s constitution.

“History has come to judge that as a step forward, and I think history will come to judge what we’re doing tonight as a step forward as well.”