SA councils spend more than $4m a year on First Nations ceremonies and protocols

Freedom of Information documents reveal that South Australian councils are spending millions annually on First Nations events. See where the funds are spent.

South Australian councils spent more than $4m on First Nations protocols and events in one year, including tens of thousands of dollars on welcome to country ceremonies

The Advertiser can reveal the state’s 68 councils racked up a bill of $68,790 in 2022-23 for indigenous representatives to deliver 122 welcome to country declarations.

Adelaide, Victor Harbor and Mitcham councils held the most – 15, 14 and 11, respectively – with some councils spending more than $1000 on individual formalities.

Documents obtained by the Opposition under Freedom of Information, also revealed the councils collectively spent $527,844 on heritage/surveys/planning, $191,492 for ceremonies/cultural activities and $121,102 on education and training.

Opposition spokesman for Government Accountability Ben Hood questioned where councils expenditure should be going.

Uncle Moogy performs the Welcome to Country at the Mourning in the Morning Smoking Ceremony at Elder Park. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Ben Hood MLC. Picture: Facebook

“Right now, we are in a cost-of-living crisis and a council’s core business should be providing initiatives that will ease this hip pocket pain for their residents,” Mr Hood said.

The documents revealed Adelaide City Council allocated $22,000 towards an Uluru statement, which a spokesman said was part of its 2021-2024 reconciliation plan.

“(The plan) included a commitment to display the official Uluru statement from the heart in a prominent space in Adelaide Town Hall for educative purposes,” he said.

Karl Telfer (centre) with daughter Jakirah and cousin Karno Martin during a welcome to country ceremony to support The Uluru Statement from the Heart in North Adelaide. Picture: Emma Brasier

Overall, the council spent $392,225 on First Nations protocols in 2022-23.

The spokesman said the council has a longstanding commitment to reconciliation and was the first nationally to have prepared 10 reconciliation plans.

“As the capital city council, we host and facilitate so many events every year aimed at celebrating our diverse communities, such as citizenship ceremonies, civic events, round tables and forums,” he said.

“It stands to reason that we also engage in Welcome to Country ceremonies and reconciliation initiatives which celebrate our First Nations people and culture.”

Holdfast Bay Council spent $80,151 on ceremonies and cultural activities – the most of any council – which Mayor Amanda Wilson said was attributed to a permanent exhibition at the Discovery Centre and its significant Proclamation Day commemorations.

Holdfast Bay mayor Amanda Wilson (centre) with Kaurna traditional owner, SA Governor Frances Adamson and Premier Peter Malinauskas for Proclamation Day commemorations. Picture: Douglas Smith.

“We’ve forged a strong relationship based on respect, listening, acknowledgment of the past, and genuine reconciliation action,” Ms Wilson said.

“Our Proclamation Day commemorations ... are particularly significant and give our council a high-profile opportunity to demonstrate that our understanding, our collaboration and our actions have come a long way in recent years.”

The councils collectively distributed $2.9m in rebates/grants/donations.

Northern Areas Council, which stopped reading an Acknowledgement of Country at meetings in 2023, did not have any documents to provide as part of the FOI request.

Originally published as SA councils spend more than $4m a year on First Nations ceremonies and protocols