The City's response to PerthNow Cockburn about Coogee Beach Festival, 3.1.25
Question: Have you avoided putting Australia Day in the title of the festival to avoid public criticism surrounding celebrating Australia Day?
Answer: No. Our primary marketing message is to advise of the event. People are aware that 26 January is Australia Day and the timetable includes our Australia Day Ambassador and acknowledges the event is part of the Auspire event series, which promotes social and cultural inclusion, inspiring Australians to reflect, respect and celebrate Australia Day.
Question: Did the council consider moving the Coogee Beach Festival to a different day- given the controversy surrounding Aus Day?
Answer: The Australia Day Coogee Beach Festival event, which was adopted by Council as part of the 2024-2025 annual events calendar, acknowledges that the day is a difficult one for many, in particular our First Nations people. It always includes a Welcome to Country performed by a local Elder.
The matter of Australia Day events for 2026 will be considered by Council as part of its annual deliberations around all events planned by the City for the 2025-2026 financial year. This will occur later in 2025 once Council receives a recommendation from the City’s Expenditure Review Committee.
Question: Has the council received any backlash from community members after announcing the festivities?
Answer: No. We continue to monitor views and attendance and acknowledge that our community has a range of views about Australia Day.
For attribution to Mayor Logan Howlett:
As Mayor of Cockburn, I acknowledge that people have many different feelings about Australia Day.
The National Australia Day Council has stated that our national day can be a time where we can both celebrate and mourn, when we can honour all that is great about Australia and being Australian, while also remembering the suffering and our shortcomings; and commit to build a more cohesive and inclusive nation.
The City of Cockburn is committed to a journey of reconciliation with our vision being to create an inclusive community with strong relationships across cultures based on mutual respect and understanding.
Our
Reconciliation Action Plan 2023-2025 outlines the actions that Council has committed to, to progress reconciliation. These include celebrating National Reconciliation Week, acknowledging Sorry Day, and undertaking various activities during NAIDOC Week.