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A small regional council has sparked controversy by abandoning its Country Recognition in favor of a more “inclusive” declaration.
Naracoorte Lucindale Council voted last week to replace traditional recognition which pays tribute to past and present traditional owners of ancestral lands in South Australia’s Limestone Coast region.
The opening prayer was also scrapped following a recent review of council meeting procedures by Mayor Patrick Ross.
Future meetings will begin with an amended acknowledgment: ‘We recognize and respect our complex history. We welcome everyone to build our future together.”
Reconciliation SA criticized the move, claiming it was an example of the council “rolling back progress”.
Cr Ross defended the change and dismissed arguments that it showed a lack of understanding of the significant and important role of First Nations culture.
A local council’s decision to replace Country Recognition has sparked outrage from reconciliation groups. In the photo, the participants of Invasion Day.
Reconciliation SA criticized the move, claiming it was an example of the council “rolling back progress”. Pictured is a Welcome to Country held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2023.
“I was guided by the local government manual, which does not mention Country Recognition,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It was clear to me that everything we do as a council must be inclusive.
“About 25 percent of our community was born abroad, in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria, so I didn’t see the need to pray.”
The council reviews its meeting procedures every five years.
Cr Ross said the amended acknowledgment still recognizes and respects past and present traditional owners of ancestral lands.
He said he was surprised to learn that his “small regional council”, which serves a population of just under 9,000, had made national headlines.
He insisted that the community feedback had been “incredibly positive”, with the exception of one anonymous letter.
Reconciliation SA has expressed deep disappointment, saying the council’s move did not reflect the spirit of the region in engaging First Nations people.
“When you remove recognition of country and elders, you remove the visibility and diminish the importance of First Nations in our country’s more than 65,000 years of history,” said CEO Jason Downs.
‘Elected members have now set out a future plan for the division based on a lack of awareness and understanding of Country Recognition.
“Erasing the existence of a culture to keep things simple is neither a good position for a tourism-dependent region nor a reflection of global awareness and adoption of the ESG framework for future investment and growth.”
Naracoorte Lucindale Council has replaced Country Recognition with a more “inclusive” recognition
“When individual ideology impacts the future of a community and business growth, there is cause for concern.”
The organization offered to hold a workshop with the council to provide “context, advice and perspective.”
Cr Ross said he has yet to hear back personally from Reconciliation SA.
“We would be delighted if Reconciliation SA sent a delegation to one of our meetings,” he said.
Naracoorte Lucindale is the latest in a series of South Australian councils that have amended their Country Recognition to include a more inclusive statement at meetings following the defeat of the Indigenous Voice referendum to Parliament.
The Northern Areas Council, 200 kilometers north of Adelaide, was the first to pass a motion in November to remove official recognition of meetings and remove it from official correspondence.
Mayor Patrick Ross (pictured) proposed the amendments after a recent review of meeting procedures.