General News
5 November, 2026
‘We don’t do Welcome’
CASSOWARY Coast Regional Council has formally adopted an overhauled Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country policy following last week’s monthly ordinary meeting, shifting away from rigid, mandatory scripts in favour of a more “flexible”, location-specific approach.
The revised framework, tabled by chief executive officer Andrew Graffen, follows ongoing debate around cultural protocols and public engagement across the region.
The updated guidelines move council away from a “one-size-fits-all” procedural model, aiming to prevent cultural acknowledgements from becoming purely repetitive or tokenistic.
Under the changes, council formally recognises the Mamu, Djiru, Girramay, Gulngay, Warrgamay, Jirrbal, and Bandjin peoples as the traditional custodians across the Cassowary Coast.
Crucially, the policy introduces clearer distinctions between cultural practices and provides greater individual freedom for speakers:
The revised policy defines Welcome to Country strictly as a formal cultural protocol delivered solely by a traditional custodian or authorised First Nations representative.
These will now be reserved primarily for major civic ceremonies and significant events, rather than treated as a routine requirement for every meeting.
The policy says Acknowledgement of Country can be delivered by anyone, but mandatory scripts have been replaced with guidance and flexible examples. Councillors and staff are encouraged to offer authentic, personal acknowledgements tailored to the local traditional custodian group where the event takes place.
The policy explicitly notes that repeated acknowledgements by multiple speakers during the same meeting or event are no longer necessary, though individuals may still offer one if they feel it is meaningful.
Speaking at the meeting, Mayor Teresa Millwood moved to clear up public misunderstandings surrounding who conducts the protocols.
“I just want to reiterate to those out there that don’t understand: Welcome to Country is not done by us. Welcome to Country is a ceremonial celebration that is performed by the traditional custodians,” Cr Millwood said.
“I just want to make that very clear because it was on the front page of the paper (not The Observer) yesterday about Welcome to Country. Councillors don’t do Welcome to Country.”
The review was developed in consultation with council’s reconciliation action plan working group and its First Nations people advisory committee.
According to council officers, the advisory groups emphasised that meaningful recognition is better achieved through genuine, informed practice rather than enforced recitation.
Addressing potential risk considerations in his report, Mr Graffen noted that establishing clear protocols would protect council’s reputation while maintaining its long-standing commitment to reconciliation and respectful engagement.
The policy also introduces standardised regional acknowledgements for written council publications and official corporate media distributed across the local government area.
Following the vote at last week’s meeting to adopt the updated framework, council coordinators and event managers will now prepare location-specific guidelines ahead of upcoming civic events across the region.
Read More: Cassowary Coast