Sydney’s Inner West council will offer citizenship ceremonies in NAIDOC Week as an alternative to January 26.

The council had been flirting with the idea of becoming the first in NSW to scrap Australia Day celebrations, joining several council in Melbourne, but has opted for what should be a less controversial idea.

The Inner West has passed a new resolution committed to “holding a citizenship ceremony during NAIDOC week, and that we focus the theme of that ceremony upon Aboriginal history and culture”.

“If you do it well and tastefully it could be a really moving ceremony,” Labor mayor Darcy Byrne said.

“Citizenship ceremonies during NAIDOC Week are a commonsense way to acknowledge the hurt people have experienced.”

Cr Byrne said cancelling Australia Day celebrations or citizenship ceremonies “would be divisive”.

Liberal Deputy Mayor Julie Passas described the resolution as “ridiculous”, and voted against it.

“I am sick and tired of bleeding hearts raising issues which are not issues,” she said.

“The generations brought up celebrating Australia Day, Christmas and Easter are being made to feel uncomfortable.”

The federal Department of Immigration's Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code recommends councils hold citizenship ceremonies every two or three months, but most ceremonies are limited to Australia Day and Australian Citizenship Day on September 17.

“The department has not traditionally liaised with councils about providing clients with the explicit option of having their citizenship ceremony during NAIDOC week,” an Immigration Department spokesperson said.

“The department would be open to exploring the possibility of offering clients the option to attend their citizenship ceremony during NAIDOC week.”

NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The department says 38 councils have held citizenship ceremonies during NAIDOC week this year (July 2-9, 2017), but Inner West specific offer for immigrants who do not like the Australia Day option is believed to be the first.