Mayor Peter Feasey reply to Cultural Protocol Email
City Council’s Response to Cultural Protocol Enquiries
ALWM Group is committed to keeping our community informed about how local decisions are made. Below is the full text of our enquiry to Mayor Peter Feasey regarding the City of Kwinana’s Aboriginal Cultural Protocols, followed by his official response and our breakdown of what the reply really means for residents.
CorrespondenceEmail sent by ALWM Group to Mayor Peter Feasey
From: Mark Howard [email protected]
Date: Sat, Nov 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Subject: Councillor Perspective on Cultural Protocols
Dear Mayor Peter Feasey,
I am seeking your view on the City of Kwinana’s Cultural Protocols, including Acknowledgements, smoking ceremonies, and Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) activities.
The City has advised ALWM Group that Council did not vote to adopt the protocols, there was no public consultation, and decisions are made by the CEO with the Boola Maara Aboriginal Consultative Committee (BMACC), not by Council.
Could you please share if you were aware of these protocols before implementation, and whether you think Council should have had a more formal role?
Kind regards,
Mark Howard
ALWM Group
Official Reply from Mayor Peter Feasey
From: Peter Feasey [email protected]
Date: Sat, Nov 29, 2025 at 4:35 PM
To: Mark Howard [email protected]
Subject: Councillor Perspective on Cultural Protocols
Good afternoon Mr Howard,
Thank you for your email. I, along with the Council are fully aware of the City of Kwinana’s Aboriginal Cultural Protocols, including the use of Acknowledgements and Welcomes to Country and activities arising from our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Council is very supportive of these cultural practices, which are consistent with the City’s RAP and our broader commitment to reconciliation and working respectfully with Aboriginal people and communities.
As has already been outlined to you in writing by the City’s Manager Governance and Legal, the Aboriginal Cultural Protocols were considered by the Boola Maara Aboriginal Consultative Committee (BMACC) at its meeting of 7 April 2025, and the minutes of that meeting – including the protocols and officer report – were then presented to Council for noting at the Ordinary Council Meeting of 16 April 2025.
Council has also resolved that the Boola Maara Aboriginal Consultative Committee be established as a formal committee of Council, which makes it one of the first Aboriginal advisory committees of its kind in Western Australia.
In line with the Local Government Act 1995, Council sets the strategic direction (including endorsement of the RAP and the establishment of BMACC), while the detailed implementation of cultural protocols at events sits appropriately with the Chief Executive Officer as an operational matter. That is the basis on which these practices have been implemented.
You have received detailed responses from officers on a number of occasions, including clarification of the decision-making process.
From my perspective as Mayor, Council is comfortable with both the intent and the governance arrangements that support our cultural protocols and RAP-related activities.
If you would like to discuss this matter further, I am more than willing to meet with you in person, together with the CEO and/or relevant officers. However, we will not be entering into any further email correspondence on these same issues.
Regards,
Peter Feasey
Mayor
Dissecting the Mayor’s Reply: Half-Truths, Spin, and Deception
When you cut through the formal language, the Mayor’s response relies on legal technicalities to deflect accountability from the elected Council. Here is a plain-English breakdown of how the reply uses spin to obscure the facts:
The “Operational Matter” Deflection
The Spin: The Mayor claims that under the Local Government Act 1995, decisions about cultural protocols are purely “operational matters” for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), not something Council needs to vote on.
• The Reality: The CEO works directly for the Mayor and Councillors. The elected Council hires the CEO, sets their performance goals, and provides their directives. By claiming this is strictly an "operational matter," Councillors are using the Act as a shield to avoid taking a formal, public vote on controversial rules while fully backing the CEO behind closed doors.- “Noting” Minutes Is Not an Approval
• The Spin: The Mayor points out that the BMACC committee meeting minutes containing the protocols were presented to Council on 16 April 2025. • The Reality: “Noting” a document on an agenda is a passive administrative step—it is not an official debate or a vote to adopt a policy. By receiving minutes for “noting,” Councillors ensured the protocols came into effect without ever having to publicly debate them, cast an individual vote on record, or answer to ratepayers during a public consultation period. - Bypassing Public Consultation
• The Spin: The Mayor highlights that Kwinana is leading Western Australia by making the BMACC a formal Council committee under Section 5.8 of the Local Government Act 1995. • The Reality: While the Act allows councils to establish formal committees, it does not exempt local governments from consulting the broader community on public-facing policies. Presenting protocols directly from an advisory committee to the CEO bypasses standard community engagement, depriving ratepayers of a voice on local traditions and event management. - The Email Shutdown
• The Spin: The Mayor closes by offering an in-person meeting while stating Council “will not be entering into any further email correspondence on these same issues.” • The Reality: Refusing further written communication creates a paper-trail dead end. Written exchanges provide an immutable record of accountability for the public; closing down email dialogue limits transparent community scrutiny.
Have Your Say
What do you think of Mayor Peter Feasey’s reply regarding the costing and authorization of these protocols?
If you would like to ask Mayor Peter Feasey these same questions directly, click here to send him an email.
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| What the Mayor Said | |
| Protocols are an “operational matter” for the CEO under the | |
| Local Government Act 1995. | |
| Council received the committee minutes for “noting.” | |
| The BMACC is a formal committee under the Act. |
| What the Mayor Said | What It Actually Means |
| Protocols are an “operational matter” for the CEO under the | accountable vote. |
| Local Government Act 1995. | The Council chose a structure that funnels recommendations straight to administration without broader ratepayer feedback. |
| Council received the committee minutes for “noting.” | The protocols passed into effect without formal debate, recorded votes, or public consultation. |
| The BMACC is a formal committee under the Act. | The Council chose a structure that funnels recommendations straight to administration without broader ratepayer feedback. |
| No further email correspondence will be entered into. | The Council is shutting down written paper trails on this topic. |
Have Your SayWhat do you think of Mayor Peter Feasey’s reply regarding the costing and authorization of these protocols?
If you would like to ask Mayor Peter Feasey these same questions directly, click here to send him an email.
Reference – Peter fesley orginal reply