Council to Undertake Comprehensive Community Engagement on Australia Day Funding

Strathbogie Shire Council is inviting the community to participate in an engagement process regarding Council’s support of community events that acknowledge Australia Day.
At its December 2024 Meeting, Council resolved to review its position on this matter, committing to engagement with the broader Strathbogie community, affected community groups, and First Nations representatives. A detailed engagement approach has now been developed and presented at the April 2025 Council Meeting for consideration.

Mayor Claire Ewart-Kennedy said the engagement process is designed to ensure a broad and balanced conversation, welcoming diverse perspectives within the community.

“This is an important conversation for our community, and we are committed to an inclusive and respectful process,” Mayor Ewart-Kennedy said. “We understand that Australia Day holds different meanings for different people, and we want to ensure all voices are heard as we consider Council’s future role in supporting these events.”

“We acknowledge that Australia Day is the responsibility of the Federal Government, which determines its broader political implications. As a result, our local poll will be focused solely on what Council can control – funding, representation and support of Australia Day events” Mayor Ewart-Kennedy went on to say.

Australia Day is a federally recognised public holiday, Council is not engaging in discussions about changing the date or other political elements, as those remain matters for the Federal Government. Instead, we are focusing on understanding the sentiment of our community and implementing outcomes accordingly.

Council’s Future Approach to Australia Day Events
Strathbogie Shire Council endorsed a comprehensive community engagement approach to gauge community sentiment regarding Council’s support of Australia Day events.

This engagement will include both a randomised telephone poll and an opt-in community poll, alongside other methods of community consultation.

Council will also invite presentations from the Taungurung Land and Waters Council and Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, as well as from local Australia Day Committees and groups that organise events on Australia Day.

A further report detailing the outcomes of these engagements—including individual reporting of each stream and the complete underlying data—will be presented to Council at a future meeting.

Next Steps
The community engagement process aligns with Council’s adopted Community Engagement Policy and will be conducted at the “Consult” level of the IAP2 Spectrum — promising to inform, listen, and provide feedback on how input influences future decisions. We are acutely aware of the concerns from the community about the use of funds to implement this and are committed to resourcing the best optin available with fiscal responsibility at the forefront.

Once engagement activities are complete, a full engagement report will be prepared and presented to Council for consideration before being made available to the public.

“We encourage everyone in the community to take part,” said Mayor Ewart-Kennedy. “This is an opportunity to help shape how Council supports this day moving forward — guided by community sentiment, cultural sensitivity, and an inclusive transparent process for all.

For more information and to participate in the poll, visit: https://share.strathbogie.vic.gov.au