At least a dozen Perth councils have moved the date of their Day citizenship ceremonies as divisions continue to grow around the national holiday.
Those councils deciding to hold the ceremony on a later date include Mosman Park, Cambridge and Fremantle in the city’s west, Rockingham and Wanneroo in the south and north respectively and Victoria Park, southeast of the CBD.
The moves from the councils comes after the n Citizenship Ceremonies Code was updated to allow for councils to celebrate the holiday three days prior to or after January 26.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s made the decision to pass on the choice to council when they host the ceremony.
Over a dozen Perth council’s have decided to move citizenship ceremonies (pictured) from January 26 and in turn have downgraded or outright cancelled celebrations on the day
More than 80 across the country have already ditched the date.
January 26 continues to be a divisive issue with ‘Invasion Day’ rallies growing bigger as they are attended by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous ns.
Fremantle was among one of the first council’s to get rid of January 26 as Day, instead choosing to celebrate ‘One Day’ on January 28 since 2016.
One Day events have grown since the single smoking ceremony at Bathers Beach and now adds in other Indigenous cultural activities and a concert at Esplanade Reserve.
This year’s One Day celebrations will also include a new program of Truth Telling, which will ‘include the three pillars of Voice, Treaty and Truth’.
The event ‘ignited debate around the country’ regarding celebrations on January 26, according to Fremantle mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge.
‘Many local governments and businesses now hold inclusive celebrations on a different date,’ Mayor Fitzhardinge said in a statement in December.
Other councils have followed suit, with over 80 deciding to either pull back or cancel citizenship ceremonies on the day.
However some councils, including the City of Perth, have been steadfast with keeping January 26 as the date for Day.
Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas noted the fireworks will be more subdued on the day because of financial reasons and ‘the mood of the community’.
The councils join more than 80 others who have decided not to have celebrations on the national holiday this year after only four councils withheld ceremonies last year (stock image)
The federal Opposition has vowed to reverse the trend as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is accused of trying to abolish the tradition.
In late 2022, the Albanese government scrapped a rule that forced councils to hold Day citizenship ceremonies.
Mr Albanese assured Aussies at the time that ‘there are no changes here’.
Only four councils, including the City of Sydney, opted to boycott the event this year in the wake of the recent rule change but than quadrupled for 2024.
On Saturday the Herald Sun revealed that more than 80 councils across have decided to scrap citizenship ceremonies on January 26, which included more than a quarter of the councils in Victoria.