Surf Coast Shire Council chose not to reinstate Australia Day celebrations during an emotional meeting on Tuesday night.
Councillor Rebecca Bourke brought her Future Recognition of Australia Day motion to council during its first meeting of the year on Tuesday February 25. The chambers were filled with concerned community members, most of whom were against Cr Bourke’s proposal.
Cr Bourke said the purpose of the motion was to support events celebrating Australia Day, reinstate citizenship ceremonies and bring the “community together with kindness and respect”.
“This motion aims to bring our wider community together on a day that is gazetted by the federal government,” she said.
“Australia Day (should be a) tier one event in all future event calendars for the purpose of supporting community groups or organisations with Australia Day events which are open to the general public.”
Council ultimately voted against the motion, four votes to five, leading to Cr Liz Pattison putting forward an alternative motion to advocate to the federal government to change Australia Day’s date, which passed seven votes to two.
Cr Pattison said she was “sorry for the hurt” caused by Cr Bourke’s notice of motion and that council had a “responsibility to be fully informed about the impacts” of its decisions.
“In the four-and-a-half years that I have had the privilege of being a councillor at the Surf Coast Shire, we have never had this many people in the gallery,” she said.
“January 26, 2026, is still 11 months away. We do not need to make divisive decisions tonight without all the information and understanding at hand. That is not good governance.”
There were tense moments during the debate when Cr Paul Barker lashed out after he was disrupted by the gallery when he spoke out in support of Cr Bourke’s motion.
Cr Barker told the Independent on Wednesday February 26, that “disrespect being shown” by councillors and community members resulted in him abruptly leaving the meeting later in the night.
“The lack of control (was not acceptable). During council meetings, people have disagreements and vote different ways, and that’s okay,” he said.
“But the disrespect that was being shown from many people on both sides of the tables, was unacceptable in my view, and the lack of control of that only made it worse.”
Wadawurrung Woman Corrina Eccles also spoke during the meeting, providing an emotional talk on the “deep hurt” reinstating Australia Day celebrations would have on First Nations people.
“I am a proud Wadawurrung Woman and daughter of my father, a Wadawurrung Elder stolen from his mother because of government acts and policies made about us and without us,” she said.
“(The notice of motion would) create division, alienate new citizens from First Nations experiences and negatively impact our wellbeing as First Nations residents here on the Surf Coast.”
