A recent online poll conducted by former Mornington Peninsula Shire Councillor and Mayor Steve Holland has sparked debate over the Acknowledgement of Country at the start of council meetings. The poll, posted on Mr Holland’s official Facebook page, asked a single question:
“Should our council abolish the Acknowledgement of Country at the start of every council meeting?”
The poll attracted over 1,000 votes, with 76% (808 votes) in favour of scrapping the acknowledgment.
Community Response and Councillor Perspectives
Speaking with STPL News, Mr Holland said the poll was part of his regular practice of engaging with the community on various topics.
“I regularly put up polls on Facebook to gauge people’s views. Some receive little attention, but this one has had more than 1,000 votes in under 24 hours. The result so far is emphatic in favour of abolishing the acknowledgment. I share the community’s view and would be interested to hear if any councillors are prepared to bring a motion to a future council meeting,”
Mr Holland said.
To understand the broader council stance, STPL News contacted several councillors for their views on the issue.
Cr Kate Roper expressed support for the acknowledgment but acknowledged community sentiment:
“I think people need to differentiate between an Acknowledgement of Country and a Welcome to Country – they are two different things. The Welcome to Country is overdone at times at sporting events but appropriate at special events. I like the acknowledgment at the start of meetings, but if community sentiment is strongly against it, we have to listen.”
Cr Paul Pingiaro suggested that the council had more pressing matters to address first:
“Looking at our agenda for the next few months, I think it’s fair to say as a council we have bigger issues. Once we start resolving these, we can look at other areas of concern. Financial stability is key, then we move to other matters.”
Cr Cam Williams compared the practice to religious observances previously removed from council meetings:
“I categorise it similarly to the Lord’s Prayer, which was abolished by the council a few years ago. Overall, I have no issue with it unless it becomes a significant financial burden.”
Potential Council Motion in the Works
A source who spoke with STPL News has claimed that three councillors are in favour of scrapping the Acknowledgement of Country and have already drafted a motion to bring before the council. While this claim has not yet been verified, the overwhelming response from the community suggests there may be truth to it.
If the motion is formally introduced, it could trigger a significant debate within the council chamber, testing whether elected representatives align with the strong community response seen in Mr Holland’s poll.
What are your thoughts? Should the Acknowledgement of Country remain part of council meetings, or should it be abolished?
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5 Responses
I think money could be spent better elsewhere perhaps Shire Hall Beach destruction for instance , the environment , public welfare and safety are more important than this and after all us as ratepayers it is our money , we should have a say
The acknowledgment is small recognition that we live on Aboriginal land. I doubt it costs the council anything but if it does it is worth it.
The Acknowledgment costs the Council nothing, is a sign of respect, is congruent with the Shire RAP and takes a few minutes at most at start of meetings. Local government is bound by State Government legislation and councillors are elected public servants. There is a Public Service Code of Conduct which expressly refers to respect for First Nations people.
Keep the Acknowledgment of Country – it’s a sign of respect to First Nations People. Get rid of dodgy Facebook polls – they aren’t a legitimate source to base a newspaper article or anything else on.
This is outrageous, so disrespectful. We have made real progress in acknowledging indigenous peoples’ history and contribution to our society. This would be a serious setback.