BERRI Barmera Council staff will create rainbow light displays on the Berri wharf and Barmera jetty in a show of support for the local LGBTQIA+ community.
The council received a request from organisers of the Feast Festival, an Adelaide-based queer arts festival, to fly a rainbow flag throughout the month of November as part of the festival’s ‘Flying the Rainbow Flag – Celebrating Diversity’ project.
While elected members declined to fly a flag due to the council’s flag flying policy and a lack of available flag poles, councillor Andrew Kassebaum introduced a motion to have staff investigate the possibility of light displays along both the wharf and the jetty instead.
Elected members also moved to support the Feast Festival holding an event in the council district, request a response from festival organisers regarding requests in previous years for an event in the district and for council staff to review the flag flying policy.
The motions were carried unanimously.
Berri Barmera chief executive officer Karyn Burton said using the lights to support causes was one of the motivations behind their installation.
“The intention of the lights was to always use them for something like this,” she said.
“The council also wants staff to review the flag flying policy and we’ll probably incorporate the use of the lights for cause-related events, whether it’s NAIDOC Week or Australia Day or similar events.
“It’s good that those lights will be utilised.”
Councillors also discussed a projection on Bonney Theatre supporting the cause, though this was ultimately not included in the motion.