Adelaide City Council proposes $82,000 reduction of funding for Australia Day events

The Adelaide City Council’s plan to reduce funding for January 26th events has been met with significant opposition. Have your say.

Adelaide’s Australia Day events that attract more than 30,000 people each year may be scaled back, as the Adelaide City Council considers reducing funding to its organisers.

The council has proposed the Australia Day Council of SA receive $100,000 for the January 26 events in its 2025-26 draft budget, down from $182,000 in previous years.

ADCSA chief executive Jan Chorley appealed to the council in a letter this week to reinstate the funding, or its Mourning in the Morning smoking ceremony may be cancelled.

Fireworks at the Aus Lights on the River event in 2023. Picture: Ben Clark

The ceremony “with months of development” acknowledges that January 26 is a difficult day for many First Nations people and includes keynote speakers, music, dance and storytelling.

It was held ahead of the remainder of the day’s events, which include an intercultural parade, the official ceremony, concert, fireworks and Aus Lights on the River – an immersive, light and sound installation.

“Cutting ADCSA’s funding by $82,000 for the program on January 26 … and subsequent ramifications, challenge the City of Adelaide’s unwavering dedication to reconciliation as leaders within Local Government for more than 20 years,” Ms Chorley wrote.

“Supplementing revenue for Aus Lights on the River through sponsorship etc has reached its limit due to the cultural and political sensitivities, making the grant funding through the City of Adelaide crucial.”

The council’s funding to ADCSA was changed from a multi-year to a one-year agreement in 2020-21, which removed stability and capacity for long-term planning, Ms Chorley wrote.

ADCSA also received funding from the federal government’s National Australia Day Council, which was “dependent” and “commensurated” with the value of the council’s funding.

Ms Chorley was contacted for comment and said they were in negotiations with the council.

A council spokesman said they understood ADCSA would be “disappointed at any suggestion of a reduction in council funding for the Australia Day event”.

“Unfortunately, it is among several organisations or events which have been identified for a potential funding reduction by the council’s need to undertake significant budget repair following prolonged rate freezes and difficult economic conditions,” the spokesman said.

“The City of Adelaide has had a lengthy partnership and remains a strong supporter of ADCSA and its work.”

He said the draft budget was currently out for consultation and the council would consider feedback from all stakeholders before being adopted.

Originally published as Adelaide City Council proposes $82,000 reduction of funding for Australia Day events