Bass Coast drops Australia Day awards, citizenships next?

THE Bass Coast Shire Council has stopped short of abandoning its involvement in local Australia Day celebrations.

But, with the exception of Cr Brett Tessari, Cr Bruce Kent and Cr Les Larke; they’ve hardly provided a ringing endorsement for the celebrations continuing to be held on January 26 either.

In the preamble to a debate at its council meeting last Wednesday, December 14, about whether or not to move the annual ‘Citizen of the Year’ awards away from Australia Day, it was alleged that negative perceptions about January 26, referred to by some First Nation’s people as ‘Invasion Day’, had stopped people from agreeing to be nominated.

“The timing and process for the awards has constrained participation, and their association with 26 January affected the perception of inclusivity. Scheduling the program closer to the middle of the year would allow the opportunity for greater focus, involvement and the inclusion of the whole community.

“Multiple Victorian metropolitan Councils and several regional Councils in Victoria have moved the date for their awards or are in the process of doing so,” said the council report.

Cr David Rooks, who moved the motion to discontinue the Australia Day awards and introduce a new set of community awards in May, as part of National Volunteers Week, continued the theme.

“I support this recommendation. I'm pleased that the focus is stronger on community, as opposed to the Australia Day awards,” said Cr Rooks.

“And many communities are moving away from celebrations in and around Australia Day, and this recommendation supports that initiative.

“It's a policy that aligns with Volunteer Week and many award winners are volunteers. And notwithstanding the Notice of Motion we had earlier in the piece today, it's appropriate to have this change and review the format.”

But Crs Tessari and Kent didn’t agree.

“I won’t be supporting this motion, Australia Day for me is a day when I feel proud to be an Australian,” said Cr Kent.

“It’s a time for me to think about the different nationalities that have made Australia what it is, and I used to work in an area where we had 270 nationalities in that council back in Melbourne.

“For me it’s also a day where I remember the mistakes that have taken place in the past as well.

“And it’s a day that I love to see someone recognised as the citizen of the year on the day. It just means so much to me as an Australian.”

Cr Tessari was of a like mind:

“I won’t be supporting this and it’s purely because I enjoy the awards. I enjoy having them when we have them. I’ve got nothing against National Volunteers Day or Week in May… but I think it would be a shame to take these awards away.

“I know I have attended every one of them since I’ve been here and they’re always a cheerful event,” he said, also noting he attends the Rotary Australia Day celebrations and awards which he said was “always a cheerful display of pride in our nation”.

“It’s always done respectfully, and I hope that it could continue on,” he said.

The other councillors, with the exception of Cr Les Larke, were against dropping the Australia Day awards; including Crs Le Serve, Rooks, Halstead, Laing, Bauer and the mayor Michael Whelan.

Cr Clare Le Serve claimed that the change wasn’t an attempt by council to stop supporting Australia Day, that the shire would still hold citizenship ceremonies on the day, if candidates were available, and Australia Day events like Pioneer Bay’s great ‘Aussie BBQ Bash and Family Day’ at the Daisy Avenue Reserve, the major fundraiser for the park, would continue to be supported by the council.

What about citizenship ceremonies

But, since the Federal Immigration Minister, Andrew Giles, announced last Friday that citizenship ceremonies could be held three days either side of January 26, that is from January 23 to 29, for councils with sensitivities about 26 January, it may be Bass Coast won’t have citizen ceremonies on Australia Day either.

However, if the council thought they were going to join the likes of Yarra and Darebin in cancelling Australia Day, they should think again.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there would be no changing the date of Australia Day from January 26 anytime soon.

Here’s why the council voted 6:3 to drop the Australia Day awards in favour of a new set of Community Awards, to include a Citizen of the Year and Junior Citizen of the Year award for which the council has struggled to attract interest and nominations:

“Recognising the contribution of our community is an important role for Bass Coast Shire Council. Currently the timing and process for the Australia Day Awards constrains participation. The changing of timing of the Awards program to May in each year aligns well with the aims of National Volunteer Week and provides an opportunity for an inclusive awards program. It is recommended Council endorses a change to the timing of a community awards program to May 2023 and format for a new Bass Coast Community Awards.”

It will be interesting to see if the change, away from Australia Day, has any impact on the numbers nominated for either award.

The presentation of the Citizen of the Year award also served as pre-publicity for the Australia Day celebrations which followed.