Inner west council mayor Darcy Byrne wants council to stick with its Australia Day event, but says it should be a day commemoration not celebration. Credit:Edwina Pickles "I want to hear from the Indigenous community what we should do instead. It's about listening." The proposal also calls for the council to "cease referring to the January 26 public holiday as Australia Day in its communications", and to "advocate to the federal Government to change the date on which Australia Day is commemorated". Cr Kiat said it was "fitting" for the Inner West Council "be the first in NSW to commit to this change, as it was on Gadigal land that the British penal colony was first established." However, Inner West mayor Labor's Darcy Byrne, will use his mayoral minute as a trump card at Tuesday's council meeting to call for the council to retain its Australia Day functions, but for it to be a "day of reflection and commemoration".

Thousands of people attended the 2018 Invasion Day rally at The Block in Redfern to protest the celebration of January 26 as Australia Day. Credit:James Brickwood Mayoral minutes are the first items debated at council meetings. As part of an Indigenous affairs package, he wants the council to explore options for Frontier War Memorial to be erected in the inner west to recognise the Indigenous victims of British colonisation. He is also proposing a $5000 funding grant for an Aboriginal languages pilot program at a childcare centre in Tempe. Greens councillor Tom Kiat is calling for the Inner West Council to ditch its Australia Day functions. The Inner West council is a Labor-Greens stronghold, with both parties holding five seats each on the 15-seat council, leaving the balance of power in the hands of three independents and two Liberals. The Labor councillors are expected to support the mayor's proposal, meaning the Greens will fall short of the eight votes needed to carry the motion, unless they can win over the independents.

The division between Labor and the Greens on the issue reflects the parties' respective federal platforms. In January, Greens leader Richard di Natale announced the "change the date" movement would be one of the Greens' top priorities for 2018. Labor leader Bill Shorten said he remained in favour of retaining Australia Day on January 26. Cr Byrne grounded his reasoning for rejecting the Greens' plan in the likelihood the council would have its citizenship powers revoked by the federal government. "I'm not going to play into [Home Affairs Minister] Peter Dutton's hands and have migrants in the inner west, the birthplace of Australian multiculturalism, being prevented from becoming Australian citizens in our community," Cr Byrne said. Last year, the Turnbull government stripped Melbourne's Yarra and Darebin councils of their powers to hold citizenship ceremonies after they voted to cease holding ceremonies on Australia Day. Cr Byrne instead wants the council to "consult with the local Aboriginal community about how the nature of council's January 26 events can further evolve to recognise the history of Indigenous Australia."

He described the council's recent Australia Day event, held in Enmore Park, as "deliberately solemn and reflective rather than celebratory". According to the council's website, which described the event as a "picnic", the schedule of events included a citizenship ceremony and awards, "followed by live local entertainment, before a spectacular fireworks display". Independent councillor Pauline Lockie, a progressive, said she was "very much in favour of moving the date" but remained concerned that by going "too hard too fast" the issue could fracture the community. "We have to get this right for the sake of our Aboriginal communities," she said. She said she would wait to hear the debate in the council chamber before deciding whether to back the Greens' motion. Cr John Stamolis, also an independent, said there was a "changing mood" around Australia Day but said he could not support the proposal without first engaging with the community.

Loading "We don't have the information to make that decision yet, but in the coming months we may well have. I want to open up that discussion." Independent Victor Macri, and Liberal councillors Julie Passas and Vittoria Raciti, all ruled out support for the Greens' motion.