Federation Shire should be proud to display the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags
[Updated 16 March 2026]
Australian First Nations cultures are the world’s oldest continuous living cultures. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that Aboriginal peoples have been living on this continent for at least 65,000 years.
Federation Council currently administers land that was cared for by Wiradjuri and Bpangerang peoples for tens of thousands of years.
As a resident of nearby Albury, I was deeply shocked and saddened by the recent proposal by Federation Council to remove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from its chamber and to restrict their visibility.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags were proclaimed as official Flags of Australia in 1995. This decision not to display them by a local government authority is divisive and completely unwarranted.
Not only is the removal of the flags a retrograde step that will harm local and regional progress toward reconciliation, this decision was made in violation of the council’s own protocols relating to consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. And it’s out of touch with community expectations - of the nearly 900 submissions Federation Council received, 78% were against this change.
Councillors who support the proposal have stated that the current Aboriginal population of this area is low. This is because of successive government policies that killed and forcibly displaced Aboriginal people.
Cheree Toka, a Kamilaroi woman who advocated to have the Aboriginal flag permanently displayed on Sydney Harbour Bridge said "It's to honour the ancestors who lived, fought and survived here and reminds the nation of the land they stand on, to ensure Aboriginal identity is not made invisible for a second time."
The Council will consider the results of community consultation on the flags protocol at their meeting on Tuesday 17th March.
- Dr Amanda Cohn MLC, Greens spokesperson for the Riverina Murray