Council isn't ready to change the date of Australia Day
TWEED Shire Council is not ready to follow other councils, like Lismore City, and change its Australia Day celebrations, according to Mayor Katie Milne.
The topic of whether Australia Day should be celebrated on January 26 has been making national headlines this month after inner Melbourne council City of Yarra voted unanimously to stop holding citizenship ceremonies on the public holiday.
Lismore City councillors also voted two weeks' ago to start the process of abolishing citizenship ceremonies on January 26, to identify new dates for the ceremonies and work towards "culturally inclusive” celebrations.
Cr Milne said she hadn't spoken about changing the date to other Tweed councillors.
"I don't know if we're up to that stage yet,” Cr Milne said.
"I would be guided by the Aboriginal community on that.”
In June, Cr Milne attended an Australian Local Government Association meeting in Hobart and spoke in support of the motion during the debate over whether the group should lobby the Federal Government to change the date of Australia Day.
"The Local Government Association supported the motion to write to the councillors to lobby,” Cr Milne said.
"It was a start.”
