Greater Shepparton City Council welcomes flexibility for citizenship ceremonies

By Anna McGuinness

Dec 19, 2022

Change: From 2023, councils no longer have to hold a citizenship ceremony on January 26. Photo by Cath Grey

Greater Shepparton City Council has welcomed a Federal Government decision to drop the requirement for councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26.

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Announced on Friday, December 16, the change means councils can hold the ceremonies between January 23 and January 29 in 2023, amid a number of councils indicating they would no longer hold them on Australia Day.

Greater Shepparton City Council unanimously voted in October to advocate for the Federal Government to remove this requirement and to change the date of Australia Day from January 26.

In 2023, council will hold a citizenship ceremony as usual on January 26, but City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali said council welcomed the government’s announcement.

“This change provides more flexibility in when local governments can conduct citizenship ceremonies, which we know are very important and meaningful for our local community,” Cr Sali said.

“In 2023, Greater Shepparton City Council will conduct further consultation in relation to council’s role in Australia Day in 2024 and beyond.”

However, in announcing the change, Citizenship Minister Andrew Giles said it was the government’s “strong expectation” that councils would conduct citizenship ceremonies on January 26.

“The Australian Government implores councils to have new citizens as their key focus, recognising that many community members want to complete their journey to Australian citizenship in connection with Australia Day,” Mr Giles said.

“The government’s priority is to ensure that where people have made the choice to become Australian citizens they are afforded that opportunity in their own communities, with friends and family, in a timely way.”

Mr Giles also announced City of Yarra and Darebin City Council’s authority to conduct citizenship ceremonies would be reinstated, a power they were stripped of in 2017 after both voted not to hold the ceremonies on January 26.

The decision by Greater Shepparton City Council to consider how it marks Australia Day was made on the back of recommendations by a community stakeholder group.

It will see the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags lowered to half-mast at council-owned facilities on January 26 and the Australia Day grant guidelines to encourage grant recipients to reflect on Australia’s “full history” at events held on the day.