Council calls for a “civic celebration” for Olympians

Lord Mayor Nick Reece has led calls for the city to host a public welcome home event for Melbourne’s Olympians and Paralympians, however the state government has yet to confirm its support. 

Cr Reece raised the idea as part of a motion of “urgent business” at the August 6 Future Melbourne Committee meeting. 

Despite some initial confusion among councillors as to the need to consider such a celebration as “urgent business”, the procedural motion was ultimately carried by enough councillors for the debate to proceed. 

Cr Reece explained that the council had only been informed in “recent days” that the Australian Olympic Committee was working with state governments around the country to organise homecoming celebrations following the Paris Games. 

He said the council needed to act “quickly” in order to “position” Melbourne and provide its officers with time to assess what options might be available in partnership with the state government. 

The subsequent motion, committing the City of Melbourne’s support for an event, “ideally in partnership with the Victorian Government”, was ultimately passed unanimously by councillors. 

“Melbourne is Australia’s home of sport and it’s only fitting we host a homecoming event for our Olympians and Paralympians in the centre of the city,” Lord Mayor Nick Reece said.

Cr Reece said he’d like to see the city host a large event after the opportunity was lost for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to COVID, calling for “huge celebration” at Federation Square followed by a civic reception at Melbourne Town Hall. 

The city most recently hosted such an event following the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Bourke Street Mall was shut down for a “street party” as fans turned out in their thousands to greet athletes. 

The Lord Mayor said that there was a considerable number of ideas that could be investigated, however the council had yet to receive any confirmation from the state government on whether or not they would support it. 

Cr Le Liu slammed the Victorian Government for not organising the event and said that it is an “absolute travesty” that the council needed to initiate it.

Cr Roshena Campbell said that she saw it as a great opportunity for the city. 

“At a time where there can be a little bit too much that divides us, how good is it to have something that brings us all of us together, cheering on our Olympians has been such a great joy,” Cr Campbell said. •