Shire of Denmark renames and moves annual awards away from Australia Day: ‘Complex conversation’

The Shire of Denmark council has voted to remove “Australia Day” from the name of its annual citizen and sportsperson of the year awards and to move the ceremony from January 26. Councillors unanimously voted to rename the Australia Day Active Citizenship Awards the Denmark Citizen of the Year Awards at Tuesday’s council meeting. The requirement for nominees to be Australian citizens has also been removed. A council report said the Shire had received feedback during the nomination period for the 2022 awards from people who “were not supportive of receiving the award at a function held during an Australia Day event”. “While this feedback does not necessarily represent the whole community, officers have considered it when drafting the amended policies,” the report said. The Shire has held its annual awards ceremony since 1983. It will now be moved away from January 26 and held in conjunction with its Volunteer Week in May. “Officers have also considered the broader national Australia Day date conversation and acknowledge that it is complex,” the report said. “The day can mean different things for different people, can be challenging for some and celebratory for others. It is recommended that the Shire begins community engagement as part of its ‘respectful relationships’ and reconciliation journey to understand the local community’s sentiment toward Australia Day.” The report said the changes would help reflect the area’s diverse citizens and their contributions. “The amended award policies remove the requirement for nominees to be Australian citizens in order to reflect the diversity of citizens in the Shire of Denmark and ensure all community contributions and achievements can be equally recognised,” it said. “They also allow for award presentations to be facilitated during the Shire’s Volunteer Week activities (in May each year) — a time when the Shire acknowledges and thanks volunteers for the valuable contribution they make to the Denmark community.”