AI-generated summary
In 2022, Melbourne City Council voted to lobby the federal government to change Australia Day's date after a resident survey showed nearly 60% support for the move. The issue remains divisive, with many Aboriginal Australians viewing January 26 as Invasion Day.
The City of Melbourne has voted to stop advocating for the federal government to move Australia Day celebrations to another date.
Councillors voted in 2022 to lobby the federal government to change the date of Australia Day after a survey of its residents showed almost 60 per cent supported the move.
After an hour of debate, council's meeting last night adopted a position to recognise January 26 as Australia's national day and acknowledge that any decision to change the date lies with the federal, not local, government.
Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece voted for council to acknowledge January 26 as Australia Day but said he still personally believed the date should be changed.
"I understand that for Aboriginal Australians, the 26th of January is seen as Invasion Day and it's a day of heartache," he told 774 ABC Melbourne.
"But that decision is not made in the town hall chamber … it's a decision that's made in the Australian parliament."
Cr Reece said the council would continue to hold its citizenship ceremony on January 26 and would also host community barbecues and cultural events on the day.
He said the Share the Spirit Festival, which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, would also continue along with the Day of Mourning dawn service at Camp Sovereignty in Domain Gardens.
Councillor Gladys Liu also voted for council to stop campaigning to change the date.
"We will focus on what we do," she told 774 ABC Melbourne.
"The main thing is how to celebrate, how to feel proud to be Australian, especially on a day when we welcome so many new citizens," Cr Liu said.
"We don't want it to just stop just at the ceremony without any activities afterwards."
As part of its return to full acknowledgement of the day, the council will investigate whether it had room in its budget for a number of multicultural celebrations to complement its annual citizenship ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall.
That includes taking over responsibility for Australia Day parade which used to be held in the city.
The parade was funded by Victorian government but has not returned since being halted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cr Liu said she acknowledged there were a range of views about what January 26 meant to different sections of the community, including First Peoples.
"We always acknowledge the significance the day holds for many First Nations people," she said.
Cr Liu said individual councillors would still be able to lobby for a change of the date, but it would no longer be the official City of Melbourne position.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Melbourne City Council will investigate budget options for multicultural celebrations to complement its annual citizenship ceremony
Likely · Within weeks
Melbourne City Council may take over responsibility for the Australia Day parade, which was previously funded by the Victorian Government
Possible · Within months
Melbourne City Council voted to stop advocating for a change to Australia Day's date, choosing instead to recognize January 26 as the national day while acknowledging the federal government holds authority over any date change. Councillors emphasized continuing citizenship ceremonies, cultural events, and the Share the Spirit Festival on the day, while noting individual councillors may still personally advocate for change.
Traders in Melbourne's Glen Waverley warn that scrapped plans for a 500-space multi-storey car park due to Suburban Rail Loop cost-cutting will push customers to large shopping centres, amid voter concerns over parking, potholes, and unaffordable housing ahead of the November state election.
Opposition leader Angus Taylor spoke on ABC News Breakfast on his birthday, criticizing the federal government's spending on renewable energy transition, housing bureaucracy, and corporate welfare following the RBA's decision to raise interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.6%, a 15-year high. RBA Governor Michele Bullock stated inflation was driven by domestic capacity pressures, with the Middle East oil shock as an additional factor. Taylor argued the government lacks control over inflation and interest rates, insisting all spending must be offset by budget savings. The article also includes a live blog update from Josh Boscaini at Parliament House covering federal politics, including the Greens' leadership meeting after Larissa Waters' resignation.
The Australian federal government announced new measures to combat unscrupulous NDIS providers in remote Aboriginal communities, including hiring 29 community access workers across NT, Queensland and NSW, funding them through the NDIA but sourcing from local Aboriginal health services, following an ABC investigation revealing widespread inducements like food, cash, alcohol and cigarettes used to recruit vulnerable participants.
Spain's coalition government agreed on housing crisis measures including banning evictions until 2030 and rolling over contracts until 2028, following protests over the forced removal of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, whose eviction by UrbaGestion sparked nationwide demonstrations demanding rent freezes and lease protections.
Estonian investigators have identified Russian special services as responsible for an August arson attack on Milrem Robotics, a drone manufacturer supporting Ukraine. NATO and EU leaders condemned the act as a reckless campaign of sabotage.