City of Launceston council to consider changing Australia Day events

Following a discussion at a City of Launceston workshop earlier in the month, development services director Leanne Hurst will recommend that the council make changes to events usually held on Australia Day.

In January, the council voted to review its policy on recognising Australia Day on January 26 each year.

Unless the federal government adopted proposed changes to the Citizenship Ceremonies Code to say councils must hold a citizenship ceremony on January 26, it was recommended that the City of Launceston instead hold a citizenship ceremony on January 25.

It was recommended that the National Australia Day Awards program to be replaced with a community recognition awards ceremony to be held after the citizenship ceremony on January 25.

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The city would also not participate in the National Australia Day Ambassador program, and the council's Australia Day Committee would be disbanded with councillors then selected to assess community recognition award nominations.

The recommendations were informed by discussions with councillors at workshops on citizenship ceremonies, Australia Day awards and ambassador programs, and events.

Councillors did not consider the question of whether the date of Australia Day should be changed as part of the discussion.

Also to be considered at the meeting will be a developer contribution for the construction of a new road between Gleadow Street and Lindsay Street at Invermay.

The City of Launceston council meeting will take place on September 19 at Town Hall.