As the Mount Alexander Shire confirms it has been in talks with the local indigenous community about Australia Day a fellow central Victorian council has been considering abandoning the date.
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The Hepburn Shire Council passed a motion in February to review whether January 26 was the most appropriate date for Australia Day.
The council has since begun preparing a reconciliation plan, which will go out to public consultation before it is finally adopted.
The Mount Alexander Shire recently held “informal discussions and consultations” with the Indigenous community, though Mayor Sharon Telford said there were currently no plans to change celebrations or special citizenship ceremonies.
It comes during a major push to re-examine the date, with Darebin and Yarra Councils recently passing motions to recognise Indigenous concerns while scrapping key citizenship and award ceremonies.
Moves by Darebin and Yarra to scrap citizenship ceremonies on January 26 have been met with opposition from the federal government, who regard changes as a breach of the Australia Citizenship Ceremonies Code.
The government has revoked both councils’ right to hold citizenship ceremonies.
An online poll of Bendigo Advertiser readers last week found any move by a council to stop holding citizenship or award ceremonies deeply unpopular, with over 80 per cent of respondents opposing.
A similar number opposed councils lobbying the federal government to change the date from January 26.
The City of Greater Bendigo council had not discussed changing the date or altering its ceremony format.
– With Jeremy Venosta from the Ballarat Courier