The Adelaide Hills Council seems to have missed the mark when it comes to bringing the community along with it on its decision to not hold or support events on Australia Day.
While select stakeholders were consulted ahead of the decision, the lack of broader community consultation has now left the council contemplating going back to square one.
January 26 has become increasingly controversial over the past years, with many strong opinions on both sides of the Australia Day argument.
But whether or not there is growing appetite for changing the date of our national day, it’s important that the broader public is brought along on the journey of change – or at least feels like they have been adequately heard, even if the final outcome is not their preference.
While it’s vital that any consultation about the matter is carried out in a respectful and thoughtful manner, so as not to provide a platform for genuine racism, the council’s decision not to canvass the broader community’s opinion has left many feeling disenfranchised.
Given the response that the council has had to its decision not to hold or support events on Australia Day, it seems obvious that some councillors failed to adequately represent the views of those who voted for them or bring their constituents along on the decision-making journey.
The fact that some of the elected members who previously refused to consider broad consultation have now changed their tune shows that this isn’t lost on them.
It’s possible that if community consultation goes ahead, it will result in a majority endorsing the council’s position.
But it’s still important that the community’s voices are heard.
If a more open conversation was had with the community in the first place – as long as it was done respectfully – it could have strengthened confidence in local government representation and resulted in a more broadly accepted outcome.
