Media Response Leader Newspapers Chinese New Year and Australia Day

Published on 18 January 2022

Quote Attributable to Mayor Stuart James.

Council has cancelled its Australia Day event based on a thorough risk assessment. Any assertion that we have done so because of historical sensitivities is completely false.

The Australia Day activities attract a large crowd and our risk assessment found that, in the current COVID environment, there was a significant risk to those who would be attending and our staff.

Monash, like many other organisations at this time, is already feeling the impacts of staff shortages due to COVID illness and self-isolation.

We are disappointed that we cannot proceed with the Australia Day activities as planned, particularly the Citizenship Ceremony which is an important one for so many in the community.

The Chinese New Year event is not run by Council and therefore it is not a matter for Council as to whether or not it goes ahead.