As a matter of fact, January 26, 1788 marked the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia. On January 1, 1901 British colonies formed a federation marking the birth of modern Australia. It would have made more sense to use this date for Australia Day, however, in 1935, the powers that be decided on January 26 for that purpose. Draw your own conclusions, but I must admit I find it rather amusing that people today should embrace so fervently British Sovereignty as the birth of Australia day.

The dismissal of another council in Victoria so soon after reform to the Local Government Act indicates that the reforms are not effective. The Minister continues to miss the point that she and her lacklustre department fail to support councils, so they are bound to fail from time to time.

A good example of the failure of the department over-seeing local councils is the decision that was forced upon Wangaratta Council to fund the building of part of the Co-op car park.

Readers will recall a special meeting of Wangaratta Council was called by the then CEO, Doug Sharp, and not by the mayor or councillors.

At the special meeting then Councillors Atkins, McInerney, Joyce and Mayor Rosi Parisotto voted to fund part of the car park, while I objected strongly to the lack of notice about the motion. 

I complained strongly to the department about the circumstances surrounding the special meeting, but my concerns were dismissed and I was criticised by the department for raising those concerns. 

The result is a $10 million cost to council over 20 years which could have been avoided if the department had done its job properly and supported Wangaratta Council to make considered decisions in the interests of the community. 

The real failure in the Central Goldfields Council was by the Minister and her Department.

I write in response to Greg Chapple’s letter in The Border Mail (August 24) asking that Australia Day be left alone. I’m afraid he has missed the point altogether given that in his letter there is no mention of the Australian Aboriginal people.

January 26 is the date where Australians celebrate the arrival of the British First Fleet.

Many Australians would mark this day as the day the Australian Indigenous people were invaded. As we all know, the result of the British invading this country and its people had enormous, negative impacts on the Aboriginal people which still impacts them to this day.

To celebrate this day is an insult to every Australian Aboriginal person. Yes, many European people worked hard and struggled through wars, drought and depression. But so too did the Aboriginal people (I won’t go into the cases of racism especially when we look at returned soldiers).

No one is saying we shouldn’t celebrate Australia as a nation. We just need to be sensitive to the First People of Australia and perhaps we could even do the unthinkable and put it to the Aboriginal people to make such a decision, since all we have ever been good at is making decisions for them.

The winner of the letter of the week is Bryan Stevens, of Wodonga. You can collect your prize from the offices of The Border Mail at 1 McKoy Street in Wodonga.