Mayor's Column – 16 June 2022

Published on 16 June 2022

Cr Ross Ebbels headshot

Hello to all residents, ratepayers and visitors to the Borough of Queenscliffe. While the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder, there’s still plenty happening across town. In this edition, you’ll learn more about where the Queenscliffe Hub is at in its construction, Council’s annual tree planting program, and a special food bank appeal for Refugee Week.

 

Hub progressing ever closer to completion
The Hesse St streetscape is continuing to evolve before our eyes with the Queenscliffe Hub progressing ever closer to completion. The glazing for the breezeway – with its stunning floor-to-ceiling windows – has just been installed, which means the building can now be locked up. As anyone who’s built a house before knows, that means we’re definitely in the home stretch! Internal installations such as lighting and joinery are continuing, and works have also been completed on the rear car park accessible via Hobson St.

The construction team is now about to turn their attention to landscaping, including the restoration of various existing elements in Field Park. So long as the bad weather stays away, we should expect to see this really take shape over the next couple of weeks. Other external features such as the rendering of the front façade and the installation of signage are also on the agenda for this month, bringing the building to life even further.

The Queenscliffe Historical Museum (future tenants of the Hub) have been doing a wonderful job in documenting the entire construction process from start to finish. Their video series is well worth a watch and offers you a chance to ‘step inside’ the building from the comfort of your own home. There are at least a dozen videos to watch on the Hub’s journey, which you’ll find by visiting boq.news/hub and following the links to the QHM YouTube page.

 

Hundreds of new trees to be planted
Council contractors have been out and about across the Borough, planting hundreds of street trees as part of our annual tree planting program. The team is planting 100 brand new street trees throughout Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale, and a further 200 trees to replace those damaged in last year’s storms. Best of all, the trees are all natives.

You can request a tree to be planted on the nature strip outside your house, or request permission to plant your own plants outside your house, by visiting boq.news/treeplanting. But a reminder – our street tree planting program is often planned and funded several months in advance and occurs during the cooler months of the year, so successful applications for street trees may therefore take up to 12 months to be actioned as Council works through funding, planting and seasonal processes.

 

Donate to the Asylum Seeker Food Bank for Refugee Week
Next week (19–25 June) is Refugee Week, and Council is supporting the work of Queenscliff Rural Australians for Refugees by promoting their Food Bank Appeal for the month of June. The Asylum Seeker Food Bank, located at The Welcome Place in Geelong, supports people seeking asylum and refugees to access food and essential items. Donating to this food bank is one of the most immediate and tangible ways to help people seeking asylum, most of whom have no income and no work.

You can drop off appropriate items such as rice, packaged dried fruit, toiletries and more at five locations across the Borough throughout June, including Council offices, both Point Lonsdale & Queenscliff IGAs, Queenscliff Uniting Church, and Queenscliffe Neighbourhood House. A full list of suggested donation items is available on Council’s Facebook page.

 

Electric line clearance works begin
Each year, Council is required to conduct tree trimming works around overhead power lines as part of the Electricity Safety Regulations. Pruning street trees allows for the continuation of power supply while keeping them healthy and aesthetically pleasing.

These cuts started on Tuesday and should take around a fortnight to complete, depending on the weather. If crews are working in your area, we ask you to make their job a little easier by moving your parked car away from their work zone. Work is undertaken during daylight hours on weekdays.

While Council is responsible for making sure that street trees and trees in township areas don’t come too close to power lines, the responsibility for private trees and non-township areas falls to Powercor. So if you see a tree on private property encroaching on a power line, give Powercor a call on 13 24 12.

 

As always, if you have anything you’d like to discuss with me about the Borough, drop me a line via the contact details on Council’s website.

Kind regards,

Cr Ross Ebbels
Mayor, Borough of Queenscliffe

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