Victorian council considers changing its votes to celebrate Australia Day on January 26

A large regional council is reconsidering a decision to not celebrate Australia Day on January 26, after further consultation with the community.

Victorian councils have stepped back from previous decisions to cancel Australia Day celebrations and are now voting to reinstate activities on January 26.

The City of Greater Geelong Council voted to reconsider an earlier decision to celebrate Australia Day at a meeting on Tuesday, tasking the chief executive to prepare a report for the next council meeting in January.

Last year, the council supported a recommendation to change the way the city celebrated Australia Day following engagement with First Nations Peoples and the community.

In 2023, several councils in Victoria voted in favour of moving its Australia Day activities and stop celebrating the national day on January 26 in 2023. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

The City of Greater Geelong reversed a previous decision and voted in favour of reinstating Australia Day activities. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

However, when the City of Greater Geelong conducted further community consultation it revealed many residents in the Geelong area were dissatisfied with the council’s decision.

City of Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj said he fully supported the decision to reconsider celebrating Australia Day on January 26.

“It is important to note that Australia Day is a national day proclaimed by the federal government, and the decision on which date to observe it is not one for local councils to make,” he said.

“Australia Day is a day when we should be reflecting on and celebrating everything that is great and good about this country.”

But he said council would not “pre-empt the findings of the report” until the agenda for the January meeting is published.

As part of the motion the council also elected to stop advocating for the federal government to change the date.

Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj said it was important to note that Australia Day was a national day proclaimed by the federal government. Picture: Christian Gilles / NewsWire

Other Victorian councils also adopted similar action in 2023, which saw the City of Greater Bendigo move its Australia Day citizenship ceremony to January 25.

The Strathbogie Shire Council also voted to stop supporting Australia Day celebrations on January 26 from this year and beyond, but reversed its decision at a council meeting on Tuesday.

In an open letter from community group Eurora Australia Day Committee, residents asked the newly elected council to reinstate the nationally gazetted day after being disappointed by the previous council’s move to cancel the day.