Jon Kanoa was appointed as the co-chair of the Koorie Engagement Action Group (KEAG) earlier this year. The group acts as an advisory committee to council, aiming to enhance opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the area.

Mr Kanoa said the council's decision to cancel fireworks on that date had given people "the belief that change can be made".

Seven of nine councillors supported KEAG's wish on Wednesday, with two requesting the matter be put out to wider public consultation.

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"It's fantastic to see council show leadership in this space, it's been something that we have had on the table for a long period of time and it's great to see it finally get the response it deserves," Mr Kanoa told The Courier on Thursday.

He said the decision was a culmination of years of "continuous lobbying we have done as a group in a respectful nature, to make sure we bring council and community members along."

He said that while KEAG did not necessarily speak for all members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, the overwhelming feedback he had since the meeting was positive.

"It was a relief," he said. "It has given us a lot of hope."

The decision would not please everyone in the wider community, he acknowledged - but said he hoped to share the reasoning behind the push for reform as widely as possible.

"It's just a message around educating why we have gone down this path, why this is a day of reflection for our community," he said.

"For us, we see that date as negative. It's in our history books, we need to acknowledge that.

"But that was the start of dispossession for our culture and our community."

"It's about bringing people alongside us for that journey, so we can continue to educate people - especially those that may not know too much history within that Aboriginal space.

"If people aren't aware about it, they don't necessarily want to change it. It really comes down to education."

Mr Kanoa gave one of the public submissions to council prior to councillors considering the item on Wednesday. He urged them "to make change and not hide behind the public view, but make a decision based on advice from a group that has been there to advise council on the Aboriginal space for over 10 years."

Mr Kanoa's predecessor as Koorie Engagement Action Group co-chair, Rachel Muir, stood down from her position in June, after criticising the council for a perceived lack of willingness to change the date.

Ms Muir also made a submission for the council meeting on Wednesday, saying the debate over January 26 "was bringing the city down with the division it causes."

The fireworks have taken place over Lake Wendouree on January 26 since 1990.

After the exit of a previous sponsor, the City of Ballarat began footing the bill in 2018. It is estimated at around $40,000 each year.

Council officers are due to present other possibilities for a future January 26 event in 2022. They will also suggest alternative dates to use existing fireworks funding, such as New Year's Eve or the Ballarat Begonia Festival.

The dawn Survival Day and citizenship ceremonies are still scheduled to take place in 2021, but will be dependent on COVID-19 restrictions.

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