Geelong council’s Australia Day changes pass after public kicked out

Council has passed changes around the way the city acknowledges Australia Day after the public gallery was ejected. WATCH THE VIDEO.

Council has passed a report that will see January 26 again referred to as Australia Day.

The council reassembled shortly after a forced adjournment, with Eddy Kontelj resuming his introductory speech.

Councillors Emma Sinclair, Elise Wilkinson, Melissa Cadwell and Anthony Aitken explained their position in opposition to the report.

Ms Sinclair acknowledged that the “extraordinary Australia Day weekend” that Mr Kontelj spoke of took place without the proposed policy change.

“No changes were made by this council, yet everyone was able to celebrate a fantastic Australia Day weekend,” Ms Sinclair said.

“Just reflecting on that for a moment.”

Ms Sinclair continued: “It is not divisive to point out when members of our community are suffering, it’s human

“It’s not divisive to ask for a day when we can all celebrate together, that’s called inclusion.”

Ms Sinclair asked the council group to consider the impact on the Indigenous community when voting.

Ms Wilkinson spoke of the importance for empathy when governing, and said the notice of motion’s confirmation of support for Australia Day being on January 26 flew in the face of what was said at the December meeting, where the conservative faction said they would be open to a date change.

Councillor Chris Burson said that while it was disappointing that the meeting was adjourned, it was “just the way it had to go”.

Mr Burson said it wasn’t council’s place to change the date, and so council should be able to call January 26 Australia Day.

He said the last council was at fault for seeding divisions when they “cancelled Australia Day”.

Councillors Andrew Katos and Trent Sullivan and Mayor Stretch Kontelj all voiced their support.

The mayor echoed Mr Burson’s blame of the previous council, and said they should’ve foreseen the division it would bring.

Mr Kontelj blamed them for the breakdown in relationship with the local Indigenous community.

The report’s recommendations were passed by seven votes to four.

EARLIER: Public kicked out of Geelong council meeting amid Australia Day tension

Tensions over Geelong council’s proposed January 26 changes reached fever pitch during Tuesday night’s meeting, with unruly behaviour resulting in all members of the public gallery being kicked out.

A report introduced by councillor Eddy Kontelj, which council later endorsed, resulted in an already charged and polarised crowd to erupt in yelling, with police forced to step in.

The first meeting of the year was heated from the outset.

It was standing room only as a large crowd people packed the gallery, many of whom wore shirts supporting Indigenous causes, others wearing Australian flags and RSL attire.

Mayor Stretch Kontelj noted the increased security, which included a warning that the gallery would be asked to leave if tensions flared.

A police presence underscored a tense mood prior to the meeting.

The mood inside was just as tense.

An increased security presence from the fiery December meeting was obvious, with eight uniformed police officers manning the front doors.

There was anger during public question time when the mayor told people they would receive an answer via the council website within seven days.

The same response was given at December’s meeting, with those asking questions regarding the January 26 motion receiving a generic one line response.

“Where’s my answer?” one person asked.

Most questions were met with groaning and heckling from all corners of the gallery.

There was a brief reprieve as council addressed other agenda items.

Hostilities soon resumed when Eddy Kontelj brought forward the report, which was seconded by former mayor Trent Sullivan.

A crowd remained behind.

Mr Kontelj spoke about positive feedback he’d received from his December motion, before thanking the crowd for being there.

“I am pleased to be moving the report tonight, on the back of what I can only describe as an extraordinary Australia Day,” Mr Kontelj said.

A man began yelling at the council about the hurt Australia Day had caused him and his community.

“What are you celebrating?” he said.

“I’m telling you the pain it’s causing me as an Aboriginal man.”

This incited yelling from those both in support and opposition.

After asking for calm multiple times, Mayor Kontelj made the decision to kick the gallery out.

Those opposed to the motion began chanting “always was, always will be, Aboriginal land” as the council group retreated from their seats.

A man began to chant “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” in response, but it didn’t catch on.

The crowd spilt out onto the street, where the chanting continued.

Police remained for some time, standing between the two groups.

One youth raised a middle finger as he left.

In a peaceful moment, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative chair Jordan Edwards was seen sharing a respectful conversation with a group of RSL members.

The meeting resumed sometime after, with Eddy Kontelj resuming his speech.

Councillors Emma Sinclair, Elise Wilkinson, Melissa Cadwell and Anthony Aitken explained their position in opposition to the report.

Councillors Chris Burson, Andrew Katos, Trent Sullivan and Stretch Kontelj voiced their support.

The report’s recommendations were passed by seven votes to four.

The vote will see council recommence referring to January 26 as Australia Day in all of its communications and confirm its commitment to commemorating the day, including citizenship ceremonies returning and the hosting of community events.

The vote will also see council cease any advocacy efforts directed at the federal government to change the date.

ANALYSIS

When Geelong’s new council convened at City Hall in November to elect its new leadership group, unity and transparency was promised.

It would be hard to make a case that has occurred in the short time since.

Tuesday night’s meeting was a mess.

There was clear division, not unity, and the crowd’s anger was palpable well before the controversial January 26 motion made its way to the desk, mostly over what they viewed as a lack of transparency.

Questions about January 26 were diverted, as they were at the December meeting, with Mayor Stretch Kontelj promising a response within seven days.

Then, after the public gallery was sensationally kicked out, the live stream went dead.

Technically, council has not done anything wrong on either front, but it hardly feels like the public has been given what it was promised just two months ago.

It’s been a turbulent start to what the mayor and his conservative majority said would be a “back to basics” era.

Buckle yourself in, it’s going to be an interesting four years.

EARLIER: Australia Day again on Geelong council agenda

Another heated debate is expected at the first Geelong council meeting of the year on Tuesday night when City Hall’s approach to Australia Day once again takes centre stage.

Supporters of both sides of the argument are expected to pack the public gallery, with the report requested by council in December heading the agenda, as expected.

It would be a major surprise if any councillors changed their stance on the matter after Eddy Kontelj's December motion to commence the process of again recognising and celebrating Australia Day passed seven votes to four.

Eddy Kontelj introduced the controversial January 26 motion at council’s December meeting. Picture: Supplied.

Of the 11-member council, Emma Sinclair, Anthony Aitken, Elise Wilkinson and Melissa Cadwell opposed the move.

Ms Wilkinson spoke at the Be Tru 2 Uluru group’s “Cry for Truth and Justice” rally on Sunday.

Council will specifically vote on whether it wants to recommence referring to January 26 as Australia Day in all of its communications and confirm its commitment to commemorating the day, including citizenship ceremonies returning and the hosting of community events.

Additionally, a vote in the affirmative would see council cease any advocacy efforts directed at the federal government to change the date.

However, because rules dictate that council must “resolve to revoke” previous policies, it is expected that aspects of the Australia Day changes will need to come before council again.

“As council already has a resolution in place not to hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26, council will need a new resolution to revoke the previous policy,” the agenda explains.

In May 2023, council resolved to shift citizenship ceremonies away from Australia Day and instead deliver formalised First Nations events.

Those events never eventuated because the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation was unable to commit to participating in an additional truth-telling event beyond Pilk Purriyn that has been held in Torquay for the past three years.

The unanimous 2023 council vote was based on 957 survey responses, including 447 from First Nations People, that were received during a six-month “community conversation”.

Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton recently said a Coalition government would force all councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day.

Originally published as Geelong council’s Australia Day changes pass after public kicked out