A LOUDER VOICE: Borough to educate on referendum

THE Borough of Queenscliffe will create a forum for community members to have culturally-safe conversations about the coming Voice to Parliament referendum.

But the plan has drawn strong criticism from one councillor, who says the borough is overstepping its role as local government by acting on the national issue.

Borough officers will create a model for community conversations to build understanding of the proposed constitutional change, after mayor Isabelle Tolhurst successfully moved a motion at a recent council meeting.

Cr Tolhurst said the conversation model aimed to engage community members in the important national discussion ahead of the referendum vote.

“Community conversations like this are happening around the country,” Cr Tolhurst said.

“There are many creative formats they’re taking on in their delivery that are both culturally safe and they support the needs of local people and Traditional Owner groups.

Cultural safety is a critical part of this proposal, and it’s incumbent on us to work with our First Nations people.”

“That really is at the heart of this a discussion like this, and is consistent with the work council’s already doing to undertake and strengthen knowledge of Wadawurrung people and Traditional Owners through key policy and strategy.

Cr Ross Ebbels agreed, and argued local government had a key role to play in community education on the issue.

“I think it’s really important that our community has all the information that they can get to make an informed decision that’s for or against the referendum,” he said.

“That [decision] is obviously up to the individual, but there’s an opportunity for us to make sure that our residents have all the information they require.”

Cr Fleur Hewitt sided with Crs Tolhurst and Ebbels by seconding the motion.

But Cr Donnie Grigau voted down the proposal and said responsibility for community education should come from national bodies.

“This debate is actually formed at the federal level. We should be sticking to our lane.

“We’ve got more important things to deliver… [as] a third arm of the government that looks after delivery of services to the ratepayers.

“This will just be another distraction that means we can’t deliver the important roles of what’s actually going through this year in the annual plan.”

Following the successful motion, the borough will research and establish an appropriate community conversation model that is “educational and accessible” for the Voice.

It will collaborate with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation on its model, which it must deliver by the end of July.

Australians are set to vote on the Voice to Parliament referendum in the final quarter of this year.