Brimbank council hasn’t ruled out dumping January 26 Australia Day celebrations.
Mayor John Hedditch said the council would review its Indigenous Action Plan later this year before making a decision.
Three Victorian councils – Darebin, Yarra and Moreland – have dumped January 26 as a day of celebration as a show of support for Australia’s indigenous community.
“From our perspective, we are a new council finding our feet, so we haven’t had much time to consult on the issue of Australia Day,” Cr Hedditch said.
“We’ll be reviewing our Indigenous Action Plan from September through to November this year and we feel this will be a timely period to discuss the matter.
“This review will be held under the guidance of an experienced indigenous consultant.
“When everything is collated, the findings will be presented back to council to discuss.”
Earlier this year, Darebin and Yarra councils voted to dump January 26 Australia Day formalities, including citizenship ceremonies.
The move caused widespread debate and prompted the federal government to strip both councils of the right to hold such ceremonies.
While Australia Day is set to be an area of focus, the review into Brimbank’s Indigenous Action Plan will mainly address key issues affecting indigenous members of the community.
