From my perspective it is not a fact. Australia was settled long before that, by its first people, Australian Aborigines (and I don’t think they lost it). Sure the British came here on that date. The date may be viewed as a settlement for Europeans but for Aborigines, it was an invasion.

Looking at the number of wars fought by Aborigines (as recently documented) is evidence of that.

It certainly has not been an easy 200-plus years for them since we arrived (think lost land, introduced diseases, and the stolen generation).

While life was not easy for early settlers I am sure the memory of Australia’s settlement by the British must cause much distress for our Aboriginal communities whose lands were taken over, families were murdered and who died of introduced diseases.  

Consequently, out of respect for those who do not see Australia’s settlement as a positive, I respectively suggest Greg Chapple and others of a like mind who want to celebrate Australia look to selecting another date that both Aborigines and the rest of us can all enjoy.

Finally, Darebin Council was not suggesting we drop Australia day, merely change the date so that we can all enjoy the celebrations.

Victoria’s population is booming and we need a clear plan, not only to deal with the challenges, but also to make the most of the opportunities such growth brings.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows our state grew by an unprecedented 146,000 people last year but only 10 per cent of them settled in regional Victoria.

As our regional communities continue to decrease in population, Melbourne is quite literally bursting at the seams.

This is why the Liberal-Nationals Population Policy Taskforce is working to develop decentralisation policies to balance our population growth and ensure regional Victoria shares in the benefits.

A report released by the Victorian Auditor-General has confirmed Daniel Andrews has no plan for population growth and the demand for services – particularly birthing, maternal and childhood health services and kindergartens. This lack of vision could see some Victorians going without.

The Liberal-Nationals are consulting with our communities right across the state to ensure the services and infrastructure required to cope with Victoria’s growth can be delivered.

For more information or to have your say visit vicpopulation.com.au

I agree with Greg Chapple (Letters, The Border Mail, August 24), you can’t rewrite history.

Yes, Australia was settled by white people on January 26, 1788. That is a fact. But in telling people not to overlook the facts Mr Chapple has overlooked a rather large one himself, that being that “Australia” was not an unpopulated land mass at that point.

The country had been “settled” already, and to overlook that fact is an attempt by him to overwrite or ignore history.

Fair is fair. It is a fact that this country was already occupied when Europeans arrived. Some people choose to look at it through rose-coloured glasses as a “settlement”, others think the term invasion is the word that better describes what actually happened. 

The simple fact is that the only people trying to rewrite history are those who refuse to acknowledge white people were not the first ones here. But the denial of history does not make that history go away.