Port Hedland councillors and Aboriginal leaders show support for acknowledgement of country at meetings

Port Hedland councillors have called a special electors’ motion to remove the acknowledgement of country from local council meetings as “appalling” as local Aboriginal leaders took to the podium to also challenge the proposal. At the July council meeting, councillors were asked to note the minutes and motions from a special electors’ meeting held on June 19. One of the motions proposed the removal of the acknowledgement of country from local council meetings, suggesting council “...do not recognise any racial group before the meeting begins” The motion passed unanimously. It comes as two-time council hopeful Roger Higgins used question time for the second time this year in June to ask council why they haven’t yet removed the acknowledgement of country before meetings. To challenge the special electors’ motion and Mr Higgins, Julyardi Aboriginal Corporation director Raylene Button used public statement time to deliver a powerful speech in support of the acknowledgement to country which was met with a round of applause from the gallery. “We don’t support the fact that someone comes into our place that we call country and be told that (they) aren’t going to acknowledge us as the Traditional Owners of our country,” she said. “We had to fight the Federal Government, we had to fight the State Government and today we have to fight our Local Government. “I am putting this to you as a council member that as Aboriginal people we will no longer stay quiet. Irregardless of the Voice not making it through the constitution and (being) shot down, we still have a voice and we are going to exercise it in our country.” Hedland Emerging Aboriginal Leaders members Lauren Greatorex and Henry Lockyer also made statements. “We are the younger generation that have come up representing the Aboriginal young leaders of the Hedland and Pilbara area. We come to speak to remove this motion, to acknowledge our elders, our past and our country,” Ms Greatorex said. Councillor Ambika Rebello “vehemently” rejected the Special Electors’ motion. “Motion number four makes my heart feel heavy as someone of colour, as someone who has grown up in country that was colonised,” she said. “I do not see how this can even come to council. I reject this motion and I would urge my fellow councillors to do the same.” Councillor Tim Turner called the motion “appalling”. “I am shocked by the move. I think it’s truly appalling. It shows a depth of disrespect which I think is deplorable,” he said. “We’re not going back, we have a commitment to recognise and respect and we need to protect those rights that have been hard fought (for).” Mayor Peter Carter said he enjoyed delivering the welcome to country at council meetings and beyond. “Its a great honour to do that out in the field when I’m talking to resource companies, mining companies all over the Pilbara, anywhere I go, saying welcome to country is an honour,” he said. Ultimately the motion to note the minutes and the motions of the special electors’ meeting held in June passed four to three. Town officers will now prepare reports on the special electors’ motions for council to consider.