The Adelaide Hills Council will no longer hold events on the 26th of January, with the decision finalised at last night’s council meeting.
The decision follows months of consultation and key stakeholder engagement, with the majority of those in favour of shifting away from Australia Day events.
Citizenship ceremonies, confer awards and support events will be moved to new dates; any citizenship ceremonies will still need to be held within a three-day period of Australia Day however, according to the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code.
Mayor Jan-Claire Wisdom said that the decision recognised the difficulties of the 26 January for First Nations Peoples.
“For many Australians January 26 is a day of celebration and national pride, however many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Aboriginal Australians, consider it a day of mourning,” said Dr Wisdom.
“This is a barrier to people participating in citizenship and award ceremonies, which are by nature supposed to be inclusive community events.”
“This decision reaffirms our commitment to being an inclusive council that respects First Nations culture and values,” Dr Wisdom said.
The report considered by Council can be viewed here.
