By Deanne Jeffers
AT December’s council meeting, the newly elected council overturned a decision by the previous council to withdraw support for events on the contentious date.
The motion, moved by Cr Fern Summer, was unexpectedly moved from last on the agenda, to first. Speaking to the motion, Cr Summer acknowledged the backlash against the former council’s decision while reflecting on the painful history January 26 represents for Indigenous people.
As Cr Summer finished speaking, Yorta Yorta man Neil Morris stood and approached each councillor in the gallery, leading Indigenous community members and allies in a powerful chant: “Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.”Cr Rod Schubert, a vocal advocate for reinstating January 26 events, seconded the motion. He had previously spearheaded a grassroots January 26 event in Tatura after the council withdrew support for events on the date, a decision that became a flashpoint during the local government elections.
Ultimately, eight of the nine councillors voted in favour of reinstating January 26 celebrations from 2026 onward, with Cr Sam Spinks casting the lone dissenting vote.
Cr Spinks expressed disappointment, saying, “This motion essentially says, ‘We hear you, but we know better.’ This motion does not protect the Aboriginal community.”
Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation chair, Bobby Nicholls criticised the decision as a significant step backward, comparing it to the heartbreak of the 1967 referendum. “I don’t have any faith or trust in council because what they say and what they do contradict their Reconciliation Action Plan,” he said.
Neil echoed Bobby’s concerns. He said the progress made by the former council had been transformative and felt this was a step back. “Disappointed is not strong enough a word. I’m really disgusted, to be honest, and it shows a real lack of deeper understanding and awareness of when these decisions are made, and what the true depths of the implications for us Aboriginal people,” he said.
In the end, the decision to reinstate January 26 events in 2026 was seen by some as a return to the status quo and by others as a painful rejection of progress.
The council meeting can be viewed online via Greater Shepparton City Council’s website and Facebook.
