EXPANDED Australia Day celebrations are being considered by Kingston Council, with public consultation to get underway soon.
At last week’s public meeting, councillors approved a proposal to “undertake community consultation, including through Your Kingston Your Say, to understand community sentiment in relation to establishing public Australia Day celebrations commencing 26 January 2027.” The proposal was passed with the support of Crs Georgina Oxley, Chris Howe, Georgia Erevnidis, Sarah O’Donnell, and Jane Agirtan.
The consultation will include “targeted engagement with youth groups, to understand community interest, expectations, and preferred celebration formats; targeted engagement with multicultural organisations, community groups, sporting clubs and trader associations to explore hosting ‘local street party’ style events in prominent, high-visibility and public transport–accessible locations, activating existing council assets and activity centres” and “inviting engagement and consultation with local First Nations representatives and Traditional Owners, including the Bunurong People, to ensure any proposed Australia Day celebrations are culturally respectful.”
Councillors are set to receive a report back on the matter by June, when it will consider its next steps. Proposed expansions of Australia Day celebrations outlined in the motion include more public events and increased visibility of the Australian flag.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 4 March 2026