Mayor's Column – 24 February 2022
Published on 24 February 2022
Hello to all residents, ratepayers and visitors to the Borough of Queenscliffe. After a busy summer speaking to many locals and tourists around town, I’ve enjoyed getting back into the routine of Council business with my fellow Councillors. Our first Ordinary Meeting of Council for 2022 took place last night – if you missed it and would like to watch it back, visit boq.news/minutes and click on the 23 February meeting.
Nominate a local legend for our Community Service Awards
The nomination period is continuing for the 2022 Borough of Queenscliffe Community Service Awards and we’re after your recommendations for the most deserving people, groups and projects this calendar year.
Our annual awards ceremony celebrates the many individuals, community groups and organisations that make outstanding contributions to the community every year. We currently select a Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Community Event of the Year, Community Organisation of the Year, and Community Environment Project of the Year.
Anyone who lives, works, or volunteers in the Borough of Queenscliffe can be nominated by any member of the community. Our reference group panel then judges the nominations against set criteria and makes a recommendation to Council on who should be awarded each title.
To submit a nomination, visit queenscliffe.vic.gov.au/csa and follow the prompts.
Active Transport Strategy consultation wraps up
Thank you to everyone who took part in consultation for the Active Transport Strategy – there were literally hundreds of submissions and it was particularly interesting to see all that local knowledge overlaid on our interactive online map. It was also pleasing to see a great number of people taking part in our online webinar a couple of weeks back, whether it was getting involved live on the night or watching it back later in their own time.
I’ve already noticed a coordinated group of students at Queenscliff Primary School get behind the use of active transport by riding to school each morning. It’s great to see the younger generation setting an example and getting ahead of the curve.
For Council, our next step is to collate all your feedback and publish it in an interim report, detailing what we’ve learned from the community and how it will inform the strategy. We hope to publish that report some time next month ahead of the anticipated release of the draft strategy in June.
For more information, visit our website at queenscliffe.vic.gov.au/active.
Drop-in session for boat ramp upgrade
Better Boating Victoria (BBV) is not far away from beginning work on Stage 2 of the Queenscliff Boat Ramp upgrade. As part of the Victorian Government’s investment in boating throughout the state, this next stage will include the construction of a third boat ramp lane and floating pontoon to make it quicker and easier for boaters to launch or retrieve your boat.
BBV is holding a drop-in information session on Monday 28 February from 4:00-6:30pm at the Queenscliff Town Hall for those who would like to learn more about the upcoming construction works. There, you’ll able to talk to their experts, ask questions and provide feedback.
You can learn more about the upgrades at betterboating.vic.gov.au.
Clean Up Australia Day
Clean Up Australia Day is less than a fortnight away, and we’re calling on the community to help keep our Borough beautiful. On Sunday 6 March, Councillors will be putting on the gloves and hi-vis, joining together with local volunteers and conservation warriors to collect rubbish from around the Borough. We’d love to have as many of you there as possible on the day.
Participants will be provided with collection bags, but you’ll need to wear long pants and sturdy shoes to keep comfortable throughout the cleanup. To register your interest online, visit queenscliffe.vic.gov.au/cleanup.
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