General News
18 September, 2026
Clash over ‘Welcome’
A PROPOSAL by Cassowary Coast Mayor Teresa Millwood to strip the opening prayer and acknowledgement of Country from standard monthly council meetings has sparked heated discussion, with the decision deferred to this month’s meeting for further policy review.
A PROPOSAL by Cassowary Coast Mayor Teresa Millwood to strip the opening prayer and acknowledgement of Country from standard monthly council meetings has sparked heated discussion, with the decision deferred to this month’s meeting for further policy review.
Cr Millwood put forward an “alternative motion” at the August general meeting, to amend the council’s standing orders, effectively removing the traditional opening proceedings from the mandatory order of business.
The proposal would also require changes to the council’s existing ‘Welcome to Country’ policy, which currently mandates an acknowledgement at every official local government meeting.
The controversial motion split the chamber during initial voting.
Councillors Millwood, Chris Littlemore and Ellen Jessop voted in favour of the removal, while councillors Renee McLeod, Jeff Baines, Trudy Tschui, and deputy mayor Nicholas Pervan voted against.
Clarifying the intent behind the motion, the Mayor explained that removing the ritual from standing orders would render it optional rather than obligatory, placing the practice at the discretion of the meeting chairperson.
“We are removing it out of the standing orders, but ... it’s still optional after that,” Cr Millwood said.
“If we decide that we want to invite somebody in to do a prayer or an official Welcome to Country, yes, we can still do it, but we don’t have to.”
Cr Tschui, who chairs council’s First Nations advisory committee, voiced personal support for moving away from repetitive formal recitations, arguing that practical engagement holds greater value.
“I personally feel that we are doing a lot and actions speak louder than some words,” Cr Tschui told the chamber, citing regular attendance at local First Nations events and the showcasing of Indigenous artwork as meaningful reflection of connection. “We don’t need to just say those words. That’s my personal opinion.”
Addressing legal and procedural parameters, acting chief executive officer Vanessa Kerr advised that while state government model meeting procedures mandate core items like attendances and officer reports, local councils retain the flexibility to customise their orders of business.
However, Ms Kerr noted that because council’s current policy explicitly dictates an acknowledgement of country at every meeting, the formal policy document would require a separate review and amendment.
The procedural complexity prompted pushback from Cr Baines, who raised concerns about altering standing orders before formally reviewing the underlying policy.
“Because we’re talking about changing this means we have to change the policy – and we haven’t reviewed the policy,” Cr Baines said.
“I would rather defer that particular item in the recommendation. I’d like to do some more work on this, so when we bring it back, we’re all clear about where we are.”
Despite Cr Littlemore arguing that the policy changes were “pretty self-evident,” he ultimately moved a procedural motion to defer the entire report to allow time for further consideration. Councillors voted unanimously to defer the matter. It is expected to return to the chamber at tomorrow’s council meeting.
The proposed removal of the opening prayer has drawn strong concern from local religious leaders, including Father Kerry Crowley, Catholic parish priest of the Mother of Good Counsel parish, which covers most of the Cassowary Coast.
“I guess I was concerned that this is a service that we offer ... and we believe that prayer guides us,” he said.
“It’s a service we offer to assist councillors who are grappling with decisions in challenging times.
“Particularly in these times when we’ve got AI and all sorts of things happening out there, we’re actually saying, hey, where’s the human side of this?”
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