Protesters made their opposition known as the new City of Greater Geelong Council (CoGG) pushed to undo the former council decision, made with First Nations peoples’ support, not to recognise January 26 as “Australia Day”.
About 150 people, led by the newly formed Be Tru 2 Uluru, packed out the council meeting on December 10 to protest a motion seeking to undo the council’s previous decisions on recognition of January 26 as “Australia Day”.
Councillor Eddy Kontelj’s motion claimed that the designation of Australia Day, on that date, is the federal government’s responsibility and councils have no authority to change it.
The group of First Nations peoples and allies, who share a commitment to the Uluru Statement of the Heart, the Makarrata Commission and Treaty and truth-telling, turned their backs on Kontelj as he tabled his motion calling for January 26 to be referred to as “Australia Day” and calling for citizenship ceremonies on that day.
Geelong Council had voted unanimously in May last year to refer to the day as “January 26”, and to stop holding citizenship ceremonies.
This was done after an extensive community consultation, including with First Nations communities, that showed overwhelming support.
But Kontelj claimed the community consultation was “flawed” and “unreliable”. Yet, back then, he voted in favour of its January 26 recommendation.
Be Tru 2 Uluru “condemned the decision-making and actions” of seven councillors. It said that council had “been building a strong relationship with First Nation organisations and communities” over 30 years.
Geelong Council was one of the first local government signatories to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, it said.
Kontelj brought a similar motion in December last year after the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, but councillors at the time threw it out.
Conservative and Liberal-aligned councillors feel emboldened by the local government election in which seven of 11 are either Liberal members or closely aligned to its conservative and reactionary politics.
Newly elected progressive independent Councillor Emma Sinclair tabled an alternative motion which called on CoGG to uphold the May 2023 resolution on January 26. It was seconded by progressive independent Elise Wilkinson.
Her motion lost and Kontelj’s motion was carried 7 to 4, with Councillors Wilkinson, Sinclair, Aitken and Cadwell voting against.
Residents noted that the mayor did not acknowledge Country at the beginning of the meeting, a long-standing practice. They also said that council officers had also refused to answer questions about community engagement around January 26.
“Kontelj has been targeting the 26 January adoption for almost a year, and used First Nation Matters of Justice in his campaign for re-election since the Referendum outcomes,” Be Tru 2 Uluru said.
It criticised the mayor for not being impartial and thanked the community for rallying in support of keeping the protocols around January 26.
It said it had “serious concerns” about several councillors and the CEO, saying they are unable to “make informed decisions that are fair and inclusive for First Nation People and all communities”.
It confirmed it would seek to raise this with Victoria’s Minister for Local Government and said it would continue to work with councillors and communities to find a way forward.
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