Some Clunes residents have raised concerns Hepburn Shire Council may make a decision to change the date of Australia Day without consulting with the community.
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Around 85 signatories to a petition hope councillors would survey ratepayers before making a decision on the future of Australia Day in the shire.
The move for the petition follows votes by Yarra City Council and Darebin City Council to change the date of Australia Day celebrations to be more inclusive of the Indigenous community and discussions held around the topic by Hepburn Shire Council.
Clunes resident and petition instigator Jade Kulesza said the petition was about councilors ensuring a decision was based on the majority views of the community.
“I don’t want the date changed. I think we as an Australian country have made an apology. The elders of the Indigenous nation have accepted that apology and we should be moving forward and forging an identity as one nation, not trying to use these divisive elements.
“But if they did an extensive consultation of all the ratepayers in the Hepburn Shire and all the ratepayers did want to change the date, then I would have no problem in supporting it. But I don’t think that the council members who have been elected should just do it like they have in the Darebin and the Yarra City Council.”
Hepburn Shire council passed a motion in February to review whether January 26 was the most appropriate date for Australia Day.
It has since been preparing a reconciliation plan, which will go out to public consultation, before it is finally adopted. Hepburn Shire mayor Sebastian Klein said the draft reconciliation plan would come before council so the community could have their say.