Lake Macquarie expands citizenship ceremonies amid rising demand

Lake Macquarie City Council is expanding its citizenship ceremonies to accommodate a 169 per cent increase in new Australian citizens over the last two years. The council is moving ceremonies to the Belmont 16s auditorium, which has a capacity of 550 attendees, to allow for larger groups of up to 250 conferees and their guests per event.

In the 2024-25 financial year, the region welcomed 372 new citizens. This number rose to 850 in 2025-26, and the council forecasts reaching 1,000 new citizens in 2026-27. The previous venue, Rathmines Theatre, could only accommodate approximately 100 conferees per ceremony due to its 200-person capacity.

A ceremony is scheduled for September 18, hosted by Mayor Adam Shultz, with a second event planned for November 27 at Belmont 16s. A post-event assessment will determine if future ceremonies will remain at the larger venue or return to Rathmines Theatre. A ceremony is also planned for Australia Day in January 2027.