Nationals candidate for Richmond Kimberly Hone has backed Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s call for a national conversation about the frequency and meaning of Welcome to Country ceremonies, saying many people in the community feel “uncomfortable” being welcomed to their own country.
“We need to start having open conversations about this,” Hone said at a media event in Ballina. “Even some Indigenous locals feel the practice has been warped into something it was never intended to be.”
The comments came as Hone announced that a future Coalition government would match Labor’s recent $1 million funding promise to install security cameras in the Ballina and Lennox Head CBDs.
“This is about hitting crime head-on,” Hone said. “CCTV cameras are not just good for prosecution, they also help with prevention.”
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The funding — which would also support camera rollouts in the Byron and Tweed shires — is part of a $3 million commitment by Hone, who said she had lobbied internally to make it a priority.
“This is my number one election promise. If elected, I will deliver it — for Ballina, for Lennox Head, and across the Richmond electorate,” she said.
The pledge follows a previously undelivered commitment by local Greens MP Tamara Smith, which Hone criticised as “unrealistic” given her party is not in government.
Asked what would happen if a Dutton government wasn’t elected, Hone insisted the project would still go ahead. “This is a bipartisan commitment. Labor has promised it. We are now promising it. So no matter who wins government, the community can feel confident this funding will be delivered.”
Ballina Shire Deputy Mayor and renowned former police detective Damian Loone welcomed the announcement, saying the cameras were urgently needed to address rising crime.
“The crime rate in Ballina has been going through the roof lately,” Loone said. “Police need these tools — especially CCTV with automatic number plate recognition — to track stolen vehicles and identify offenders. These cameras will make a real difference.”
Asked about concerns the cameras would only cover CBD areas, Loone said they would be strategically placed for maximum impact and would give local police real-time alerts via mobile devices.
“Everyone is attracted to CBDs, but the technology will also allow for proactive policing, including license plate recognition that can instantly alert officers to stolen vehicles entering the shire,” he said.
On broader cultural issues, Hone said her concerns around Welcome to Country ceremonies were not about removing the practice, but about ensuring it reflects genuine consultation and respect.
“People are telling me they feel like they’re being welcomed to their own country over and over again, and it doesn’t feel meaningful anymore,” she said. “And when airlines don’t even bother naming the traditional country — like Bundjalung — it comes across as hollow.”
She also drew a parallel with the closure of Mt Warning (Wollumbin) to climbers, claiming that certain Indigenous groups, such as the Narakwal clan, had been excluded from the consultation process.
“I’m now working with them to get that mountain reopened. We need to make sure we’re not just ticking boxes but actually engaging in proper, inclusive dialogue.”
Hone said the broader debate around Indigenous affairs has too often been shaped by people “outside the community with other agendas.”
“There’s too much talking and not enough listening. We need real conversations, not virtue signalling,” she said.
PICTURE: Nationals candidate for Page Kimberly Hone (Right) with Deputy Mayor Damian Loone, Mayor Sharon Cadwallader and Cr Simon Kinny (left)
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