CITIZENSHIP ceremonies in Newcastle could return to January 26 under a pledge from the city's Liberal councillors that could potentially block any attempts to move them again in future.
Callum Pull and Jenny Barrie said they would restore the Australia Day functions if elected in September, as well as changing City of Newcastle's formal position to support more rigid, statewide controls that would prevent councils from moving them away from Australia Day.
The Newcastle Herald has previously reported that Newcastle changed its calendar two years ago, moving the ceremony to January 25 from last year.
At the time, lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes had written to Immigration and Citizenship Minister Andrew Giles' office asking permission to move the event and said the shift was "in line with the community's expectations".
The council undertook a survey of almost 700 new citizens conferred between 2020 and 2022, which Cr Nelmes said at the time "overwhelmingly" called for the ceremony to be moved to "a more culturally appropriate date".
"With a rich multicultural population, City of Newcastle has always prided itself on its culturally inclusive ceremonies with strong representation and involvement from the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, which was reflected in the survey feedback," the lord mayor said in December 2022.
Lake Macquarie City Council this year joined a list of about 80 other local government areas that won't hold January 26 ceremonies in 2024.
Cr Pull, leader of the Newcastle Liberals, said on Tuesday the proposed change would protect the rights of new Australians.
"Every new citizen should have the right to choose our national day as the day that they take their oath and join us as Australians," he said.
"Newcastle council offers multiple ceremonies throughout the year, one of those should be on Australia Day.
"Australia Day is by far the most popular choice for new citizens. This decision to cancel the Australia Day ceremony took away that choice."
Cr Pull argued removing the choice for councils to choose a different date would "protect the rights of new citizens against activist councils".
"Council should show pride in our country and demonstrate that you can be a proud Australian no matter who you are or where you come from," he said.
The NSW local government elections are scheduled for September 14.
