A regional New South Wales council has voted to remove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from its chambers, sparking criticism from traditional owners who say the decision erases their history. The Federation Council, which covers the town of Corowa, passed the motion in November by five votes to four, opting to fly only the Australian flag on all flagpoles in the shire.
The change was part of a draft protocol that also proposed restricting welcome to country ceremonies at council events, requiring them to be approved by a council resolution. The council will still fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags during NAIDOC and Reconciliation weeks on available flagpoles.
Mayor Cheryl Cook defended the decision, stating it aims to represent the shire as 'a single, cohesive community under one sovereign emblem'. She said the changes to welcome to country ceremonies were to ensure 'transparency and fiscal responsibility' in how ratepayer funds are allocated.
But Bangerang elder Kevin Atkinson said the move removes Indigenous history from view. 'If they want people to respect them and their history, they gotta do the same to us,' he said. Joanne Atkinson, a Bangerang and Wiradjuri woman, described the decision as a 'ripple effect' of the failed Voice referendum, in which the local electorate recorded a 75% no vote.
The council's decision comes amid heightened tensions in the region, where a neo-Nazi march occurred in Corowa last year. Critics argue the move undermines reconciliation efforts, while the council maintains it reflects a desire for unity among residents.
