The Town Council late yesterday [19 January 2026] announced its “special Australia Day ceremony” and this morning Mayor Asta Hill announced that she won’t be taking part.

“It is my personal view that the 26 January is not the right date to celebrate our national day,” she said in a statement.

“January 26 means a range of different things to people across our community. For many First Nations people, this is a day of mourning.

“While I do not intend to stand in the way of others’ celebrations, I do not personally want to play a formal role on a day that causes harm to parts of our community.”

Mayor Hill said the citizenship and awards ceremony will be conducted by Deputy Mayor Allison Bitar.

“I welcome respectful conversations about this matter and am committed to exploring how we can move forward with respect and inclusivity in the future,” said Mayor Hill.

Anthony Geppa, the council’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator, said in an email statement at 4.30pm yesterday the council will confer citizenship on 85 residents of Central Australia and gave details of other events planned for January 26.

Update January 22 at 10.30am

In 2022 the Federal Government permitted to hold citizenship ceremonies up to three days before or after Australia Day.

Asked for comment, Mayor Hill said: “To change the date of the citizenship and awards ceremony would require a motion from Elected Members, and no such motion has passed.”

There has not yet been a council meeting this calendar year, so the decision would need to have been made no later than at the monthly meeting in December last year. Mayor Hill was elected in August last year.

As has become usual, the council will confer citizenship on a large number of people on Monday – 85 of them this time, 71 adults and 14 children, from these 29 countries: India, Sudan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Liberia, United States, Thailand, Taiwan, New Zealand, Italy, Nepal, Germany, France, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, China, Mexico, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, South Sudan, Kuwait, Ireland, Zambia, South Africa, Pakistan, Switzerland, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Egypt.

This article appeared on Alice Springs News on 20 January 2026.