At their August meeting, Council passed a motion of support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and resolved to write to the Hon. Catherine King, Federal Member for Ballarat, expressing their support. The resolution, moved by Cr Lesley Hewitt and seconded by Cr Don Henderson, was passed unanimously.
The decision follows the announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that there will be a referendum to support Constitutional Recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
In his letter to Catherine King, Mayor, Cr Tim Drylie said, “We stand with our First Nations People. We’ve heard them and we will continue to work together, and walk together towards treaty, reconciliation and a strong Aboriginal voice.”
Cr. Drylie noted the commitment of the Shire to reconciliation projects including creating a dedicated Reconciliation Officer and adopting a Reconciliation Action Plan. He also noted the Manna Gums Frontier Memorial and the renaming of Larni Barramul Yaluk as outcomes of the Action Plan.
The National General Assembly of Local Government has called on the Australian Government to continue to demonstrate strong leadership in support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples by supporting Constitutional Recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and endorsing the Uluru Statement.
