Top photo: Avenue of flags, Cooma NSW.

Background

At the April 2023 Council Meeting, a Notice of Motion was moved to seek a report for endorsement of the recognition of Indigenous, migrant and refugee communities by way of an avenue of flags in an appropriate location within the municipality.

This report, presented at the September 2023 Council Meeting, considered the purpose, initial community engagement, flag selection, potential locations, risks and whole of life cost estimates of an avenue of flags.

At the September Meeting, Council agreed to write to the relevant embassies to seek engagement and a financial co-contribution, along with conducting further community consultation to consider alternative options for the public recognition of Greater Shepparton’s diverse First Nations, migrant and refugee communities.

Purpose

The purpose of an avenue of flags is to recognise the Indigenous, migrant and refugee communities within the Greater Shepparton community, and to provide a location for residents and visitors to celebrate identity and culture.

There are relatively few similar examples of this type of initiative, however comparable examples include:

  • Snowy Monaro Regional Council, New South Wales: The Avenue of Flags in Cooma is a display of the region's multicultural heritage and celebrates the nationalities of those who participated in the construction of the Snowy Scheme. Developed in 1959 and over two stages, the avenue now contains 40 flags
  • City of Burnside, South Australia: Burnside’s community flag pole is located at its civic centre to display flags of different nations on specific occasions. Nominations are sought directly from community and a flag flying policy has also been developed.

Alternative options

Council will also consider alternative options that address the intent of the resolution in recognising Indigenous, migrant and refugee communities. Location, costs, and scope will be considered for:

  • Artwork / mural / street art – aligned with the current range of installations
  • Community flagpole – to provide all communities with a space to display their flag during important events
  • A dedicated community space – as a location for celebrating identity and culture.

Have your say

Council undertook community consultation to understand the expectations around an appropriate way to publicly recognise Greater Shepparton’s diverse First Nations, migrant and refugee communities.