Each year Local Governments make a tremendous contribution to their communities by conducting citizenship ceremonies. Since the first ceremony in 1949, Councils and Shires throughout Australia have hosted tens of thousands of these events. A citizenship ceremony is an important milestone in the life of new citizens. Local Councils have welcomed the opportunity to play a significant role in introducing new citizens into their local communities.
This year the Australian Government invites Local Governments to support the third Australian Citizenship campaign which invites residentially eligible people to become Australian citizens.
The President of the Australian Local Government Association, Councillor Mike Montgomery, joined the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Gary Hardgrave MP, at the recent launch of the campaign in Sydney.
“Over 900,000 overseas settlers are residentially eligible to become Australian citizens but are yet to take this important step,” the Minister said. “The majority come from the United Kingdom, United States, Ireland and New Zealand.”
Councillor Montgomery said that the 2003 campaign also encourages Australians to appreciate the important role of Australian Citizenship as a unifying community force.
“This is a sentiment that will no doubt strike a positive chord with the ongoing efforts of Local Governments,” Mike Montgomery said.
The Minister and the ALGA President also launched the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code at the Sydney event. The Code will be widely distributed to Local Governments across Australia, organisations conducting citizenship ceremonies and to all Federal and State Parliamentarians. The Code will also be posted to the Department’s citizenship web site (www.citizenship.gov.au/councils.htm) to ensure wide access by interested individuals and organisations.
It will assist Local Governments to conduct citizenship ceremonies by detailing legal and other requirements. It includes ideas and suggestions to help staff to make ceremonies meaningful, dignified and memorable celebrations, and provides guidelines for conducting affirmation ceremonies. Affirmation ceremonies were introduced in 1999 to enable Australian citizens to publicly affirm their commitment and loyalty to Australia. Many Councils now make them part of their Citizenship ceremonies.
Councils and Shires host Citizenship ceremonies throughout the year. In the next seven months, Australian Citizenship Day (17 September 2003), Australia Day (26 January 2004) and Harmony Day (21 March 2004) provide national contexts for these occasions.
Councils can order citizenship promotional materials for their September ceremonies through www.citizenship.gov.au/councils.htm, and can register them as part of the 2003 Australian Citizenship campaigns.
