FAQs

Traditionally the Council has held a Citizenship and Citizen of the Year Awards Ceremony on Australia Day to welcome the City’s newest citizens and to recognise the achievements of individuals and organisations in our local community. In 2024, Council resolved to hold a Citizenship Ceremony on 25th January (i.e. on the eve of Australia Day) with no associated community event.

A summary of the events held can be seen in the table below:

*Offset by grants received from the National Australia Day Council to assist with additional event costs during the COVID-19 pandemic: 2021 $20,000, 2022 $14,250, and 2023 $20,000.

Past events have ranged in scale and offering from simple barbeques with some live music and family activities, to a full program of entertainment. This has largely been influenced by the grant support received from the Australia Day Council.

The Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code (the Code) follows the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (the Citizenship Act) and sets out the legal and other requirements for conducting citizenship ceremonies as well as the roles and responsibilities for those involved in citizenship ceremonies.

In December 2022, the Federal Government updated the Code, providing more flexibility to councils to hold Australia Day citizenship ceremonies on or around Australia’s national day.  

“The Government expects local government councils to hold a citizenship ceremony as part of their Australia Day celebrations. Many thousands of Australians have had their citizenship conferred on Australia Day, and many Australians would like to receive their citizenship on our national day, in their community. Councils must hold a ceremony on Australia Day, or the three days prior or the three days after Australia Day. 

Councils that conferred citizenship on fewer than 20 people in the previous year are exempt from this requirement.”

There is no legislation that requires Councils to hold community events for Australia Day, or in conjunction with Australian Citizenship Ceremonies.

The decision to hold community events is at the discretion of Council. Proposed activities are considered as part of the development of Council's Annual Business Plan and Budget.

The final legal step in the acquisition of Australian citizenship for most people, is to make the pledge of commitment at an Australian Citizenship Ceremony. At the Citizenship Ceremony, conferees pledge that they share Australia’s democratic beliefs and respect the rights and liberties of the people of Australia.

See page 8 of the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code for more information.

The Australia Day Council of SA coordinates several award programs and activities across the year to recognise inspiring people and communities. Nominations for the Australian of the Year Awards are submitted by the public. The presentation of awards to City of Unley recipients has traditionally been part of the Australian Citizenship Ceremony program.

Visit the Australian of the Year website and the Australia Day Council of South Australia website for more details on awards.

The Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code legislates that Councils must hold a Citizenship Ceremony on Australia Day, or within three days before or after every year. 

In contrast, the decision to hold community events is at the discretion of Council.

Your Say Unley is the official platform for the community to submit their feedback. The use of Your Say Unley as the sole engagement tool for the Australia Day Events in Unley 2025 consultation has been endorsed by the City of Unley's Elected Members.

The Your Say Unley engagement tool and the survey questions have been endorsed by the City of Unley's Elected Members.

We are not accepting detailed submissions as part of this consultation process. Any submissions received outside of the Your Say Unley Survey will not be considered as part of the consultation.

Feedback received via Your Say Unley will be considered by Elected Members as part of their decision-making process. Please note, that this survey is not a vote or a poll, and Elected Members can consider other information to shape their decision.

The City of Unley Elected Members are the final decision-makers on Australia Day Events in Unley for 2025.  Community feedback received through this survey will form part of the information used by Elected Members to shape their decision-making.

No. This survey is not about changing the date of Australia Day. Councils do not have the power to do so. This falls within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government.

Additionally, days fixed as Public Holidays in South Australia are legislated and set out in the Public Holidays Act 2023 enacted by the Parliament of South Australia.

Visit the South Australian Legislation website to read the Public Holidays Act 2023.