THE City of Armadale has no plans to cancel its annual Australia Day fireworks display after the City of Fremantle decided its fireworks celebration was not culturally sensitive.
Fremantle councillors voted not to go ahead with the fireworks from 2017 onwards at its meeting last month, citing a need to make the day more cost effective, environmentally friendly and culturally sensitive to Fremantle’s Indigenous people.
Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said the City would also be putting forward a family-friendly event to celebrate being Australian on another yet to be chosen date.
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READ NOW“There has been a growing movement that January 26 is increasingly becoming a day that is ‘not for all Australians’ and for many Aboriginal Australians it is indeed a day of sadness and dispossession,” he said.
“This does not just refer to Indigenous involvement but the involvement of many other Australians who feel increasingly uncomfortable with the date and what it represents.”
City of Cockburn is reconsidering its involvement in Australia Day celebrations after previously sharing the event with Fremantle.
But Armadale Mayor Henry Zelones said the City had not received any queries about Australia Day from an audience perspective.
“However, we did receive great feedback following this year’s event,” Cr Zelones said.
He said planning was well underway for 2017 Australia Day celebrations.
“The family-friendly City of Armadale celebrations are a popular event for Armadale, providing residents, their friends and families a safe, inclusive and easy environment for all to celebrate being Australian,” he said.