Council is proposing to establish a calendar of days of recognition, observation and celebrations (dates of recognition).
These days promote awareness and action about social, health and wellbeing topics.
The days recognised and observed will mark particular events or topics which have relevance to the broader community and align with a Council service or policy.
The calendar of events will be reviewed annually.
How we decide on the dates of recognition
While no list of dates of recognition is fully comprehensive, we aim to acknowledge and celebrate dates of recognition that are underpinned by the work of Council, in particular:
• How the date links with the key objectives of the Council’s Plan and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.
• How the date helps address community needs and issues and can be demonstrated as a part of the services we provide.
• How the date celebrates the organisation’s wellbeing.
• Any long-standing cultural, historical and community practices and traditions.
How we will recognise the dates of recognition
Communications with the community and activities will vary depending on the date of recognition. A two-tier approach to the events / days observed will enable Council to allocate its resources appropriately:
1. Council recognised – where the date of recognition has significant relevance to the broader community and current broader societal needs and issues. This may be typically communicated by the Mayor and/or Councillors in the form of organising or attending a ceremony or community event and media messages and communications.
2. Organisation recognised – where the date of recognition has relevance to the broader community and aligns with a Council service or policy. The organisation would promote internally and externally and may be accompanied by the Mayor educating the community more broadly via media. The specific Department may recognise the day with events/activities promoted internally in venue and externally via social media page.
There are dates of recognition and community activities and events that are led by other agencies which Council will support, for example NAIDOC Week and 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Proposed dates of recognition for 2024/2025
The below table outlines the proposed dates of recognition for the coming year. It also indicates whether they are to be Council recognised or Organisation recognised, as well as the Council Plan objective they relate to.
Note for mobile phone users: scroll across to see all four columns of the table.
| Theme | Council Objective | Council Observed Days | Organisation Observed Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Healthy Community | Be a welcoming and inclusive city: fosters diversity. | IDAHOBIT Day International Women’s Day |
Harmony Day Cultural Diversity Week Seniors Festival Children’s Week Go Blue for Autism Day Youth Fest World Refugee Day World Refugee Week |
| Warrnambool will be a city that values Aboriginal identity and culture. | National Reconciliation Week | National Sorry Day NAIDOC Week |
|
| Health and wellbeing: Warrnambool’s people are healthy. | 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Men’s Health Week* Womens’ Health Week National Families Week National Child Protection Week World Elder Abuse Day World Mental Health Day Immunisation Week Dental Health Week Breastfeeding Week |
||
| An accessible city: Warrnambool has accessible, high quality public spaces and facilities | International Day of Persons with Disabilities | ||
| Community learning pathways: Warrnambool is a learning community | ANZAC Day Citizen of the Year Ceremony |
National Playgroup Week World Creativity and Innovation Week International Literacy Day Children’s Book Week National Simultaneous Storytime Day |
|
| A Sustainable Environment | Natural environment: Warrnambool is a city in nature | National Tree Day | World Environment Day Nature Play Week |
| Water and coastal management: Council will protect and enhance the health of Warrnambool’s coastline and inland waterways to protect and improve biodiversity. | Clean Up Australia Day | ||
| Waste minimisation: Warrnambool is a wise city that wastes not. | National Recycling Week | ||
| A Strong Economy | Workforce capability: Council will foster the development of a workforce capable of supporting the needs of the local and regional economy. | National Skills Week | |
| A Connected, Inclusive Place | Stronger neighbourhoods: Council will foster neighbourhood connections and capacity building including the development of inclusive recreational and cultural opportunities. | Neighbours Day Neighbourhood House Week |
|
| An effective Council | High-performance culture: Council will foster an organisational culture to support engaged, committed and high-performing staff for the effective delivery of Council’s services and programs. | National Volunteer Week | R U Ok Day International Nurses Day Early Childhood Educators Day World Teachers Day Annual Volunteering Expo |
* Council is supporting Men’s Health Week rather than International Men’s Day to advance discussion and action to improve the lives and health of men and boys in Australia. This aligns with Council’s strategic plans.