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‘Removing flags doesn’t stop racism’: regional NSW council abandons plan to stop flying Aboriginal flag

Federation Council in regional New South Wales has rejected a proposal to restrict Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags via a deadlocked 4-4 vote, yet immediately removed the flags from council chambers due to the absence of a formal resolution authorising their 2022 installation. The decision came despite 78% of 884 public submissions opposing the ban, and has drawn criticism from Wiradjuri elders as damaging to reconciliation efforts.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Mar 17, 2026 Published Aug 11

Overview

Federation Council in southern New South Wales has rejected a proposal to ban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from its chambers, yet the flags are being removed immediately—not temporarily—due to procedural requirements. The outcome, which followed a deadlocked 4-4 council vote with one abstention, has drawn sharp criticism from Indigenous community members and disappointed supporters who had hoped overwhelming public opposition would preserve the flags' presence.

The Proposal and Community Response

According to The Guardian [statistical/multi-source], the council received 884 public submissions regarding proposed changes to its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols, with 78% opposing the ban. Only 100 submissions (11.5%) supported the move. The ABC [statistical/single-source] reports that while most submissions originated from outside the region, local residents within the shire were similarly opposed, with 84% (266 submissions) against the proposal and only 16% (44 submissions) in favour.

The proposal was first advanced by Mayor Cheryl Cook in November as an amendment to council protocols, seeking to restrict Indigenous flag displays to specific occasions and require formal council resolution for Welcome to Country ceremonies.

The Vote and Its Consequences

At a council meeting described by The Guardian as "rowdy," councillors deadlocked 4-4 on adopting the draft protocols, with Councillor Derek Shoen abstaining rather than voting [causal/multi-source]. This procedural outcome meant the proposal to ban the flags was rejected—not actively "abandoned" by council leadership, as some framings suggest.

However, councillors determined that because there was no formal resolution authorising the flags' original installation in 2022, the flags must be removed from the Corowa and Urana chambers immediately [causal/multi-source]. The council simultaneously committed to developing a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) alongside Wiradjuri and Bangerang traditional owners, though this offers no timeline for flag restoration.

Shoen, who proposed the RAP alternative, stated that "due process has not been undertaken" when the flags were first installed, arguing this procedural failure "is why we have come to this divisive situation" [quote/attributed, The Guardian].

Indigenous Community Response

The removal has drawn explicit criticism from Indigenous leaders. Wiradjuri elder Uncle Mark Atkinson characterised the council's decision as "a step backwards for reconciliation" [quote/attributed, ABC Australia] [causal/single-source, medium confidence]. This perspective underscores a gap between the council's procedural focus and the lived experience of First Nations community members regarding symbolic recognition.

ABC Australia [quote/attributed] further reports that Indigenous community members expressed "disappointment and frustration" with the outcome, with one describing feeling "disgusted" by the removal.

Competing Perspectives on Symbolism

Arguments for Removal: Councillor David Bott led arguments supporting the procedural removal of flags. According to ABC Australia [quote/attributed], Bott argued: "Regardless of what cultural background, regardless of what religion or political belief, the Australian flag is the only flag that embodies all of us." He further stated that "flying multiple flags encourages division, resentment and a sense of victimhood" [quote/multi-source].

Arguments for Retention: Deputy Mayor Rowena Black contested this view, citing the community consultation results. The Guardian [quote/attributed] reports Black stating that "flying all three flags … does not diminish, nor negate the Australian flag," and that acknowledging Indigenous flags "should not place people on the left or right of politics." ABC Australia [quote/attributed] notes Black cited the 78% opposition figure from more than 800 submissions.

The 'Vitriol' Controversy

Mayor Cook, who originated the proposal that led to the flags' removal, has publicly emphasised personal criticism she received over the process. ABC Australia [quote/attributed] reports Cook received "vitriol" and insults, with the mayor stating she was "surprised by the level of insults" despite anticipating criticism.

This framing—highlighting attacks on the proposal's architect without analogous attention to First Nations community members' experience of the outcome—has drawn notice from observers. ABC Australia [causal/contextual] also documents that Wiradjuri elder Uncle Mark Atkinson and other Indigenous community members faced the substantive removal of symbolic recognition, a consequence some participants may view as more severe than interpersonal criticism of elected officials.

Next Steps Uncertain

Both sources confirm the council will develop a Reconciliation Action Plan alongside traditional owners [predictive/multi-source]. Unlike earlier reporting suggesting potential temporary removal, current sourcing indicates no confirmed timeline or commitment exists for restoring the flags. The RAP process is intended to establish formal protocols, though whether this leads to flag reinstatement remains unspecified.

Verification Status Summary

High Confidence: Rejection of ban proposal via 4-4 deadlock with abstention; 884 submissions with 78% opposition; immediate removal due to lack of formal resolution; Bott, Black, and Atkinson statements; RAP development commitment.
Medium Confidence: Characterization as 'step backwards for reconciliation'; demographic breakdown of submissions; uncertainty of eventual flag restoration.

How each outlet told it

ABC Australia as of Mar 17, 2026, 5:01 AM UTC

Framing: Indigenous flags to be removed from council chambers — Neutral with a focus on community reaction

Facts Included:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags will be removed from council chambers
Councillors voted 4-4 with one abstention, resulting in the rejection of the draft protocols
The council will consult the community further on finalising a Reconciliation Action Plan
Indigenous community members expressed disappointment and frustration with the decision
Councillor David Bott argued that multiple flags encourage division

Read the source article →

The Guardian — World as of Mar 17, 2026, 6:01 AM UTC

Framing: Controversy over Aboriginal flag ban — Neutral with a hint of criticism towards the council's decision

Facts Included:

Federation Council abandoned a plan to ban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags
The council received 884 public submissions, with 78% opposing the ban
The flags were removed due to lack of formal resolution to display them
A rowdy council meeting resulted in a split vote, with a final councillor abstaining
The council will develop a Reconciliation Action Plan alongside traditional owners

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimThe Federation Council abandoned a plan to ban the display of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags after receiving public submissions.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from The Guardian — World as of Mar 17, 2026, 6:01 AM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimThe council received 884 public submissions, with 78% opposing the ban on displaying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from The Guardian — World as of Mar 17, 2026, 6:01 AM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimThe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags were removed from the council chambers due to a lack of formal resolution to display them.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from The Guardian — World as of Mar 17, 2026, 6:01 AM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimA rowdy council meeting resulted in a split vote, with a final councillor abstaining, leading to the rejection of the draft protocols.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from The Guardian — World as of Mar 17, 2026, 6:01 AM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimThe council will develop a Reconciliation Action Plan alongside traditional owners.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from The Guardian — World as of Mar 17, 2026, 6:01 AM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim
ClaimCouncillor David Bott argued that multiple flags encourage division and only the Australian flag should be displayed.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via ABC Australia as of Mar 17, 2026, 5:01 AM UTC
ClaimDeputy Mayor Rowena Black stated that flying all three flags does not diminish the Australian flag.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via ABC Australia as of Mar 17, 2026, 5:01 AM UTC
ClaimMayor Cheryl Cook referenced protocol documents stating that Indigenous flags need not be displayed.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via ABC Australia as of Mar 17, 2026, 5:01 AM UTC
ClaimIndigenous community members expressed disappointment and frustration with the decision to remove the flags.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source quoted from ABC Australia as of Mar 17, 2026, 5:01 AM UTC the outlets behind this status were not recorded for this claim

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: The Guardian — World, ABC Australia 8 claims extracted 1 editorial revision Version 1 Written 2026-08-11