Australia Day approach ‘like having a bet each way’ says councillor

A former Mayor of Ballarat says the cities current approach to Australia Day is like having a ’50-cent bet each way.

The day starts with the sombre Survival Day dawn service and continues into the afternoon with Picnic in the Park activities in Victoria Park.

Current councillor, Daniel Moloney, says councils around the country are placed in a difficult position.

“For us, we’re seeing that there’s a lot of people that want to reflect on the day, but there’s also a lot that want to celebrate,” he said.

“If you start the day as a sombre reflection and then you also get into the multicultural and celebration elements as well, it’s the best we can do in the current situation I think.”