Mayor's Column – 4 November 2022
Published on 04 November 2022
Hello to all residents, ratepayers and visitors to the Borough of Queenscliffe. Our Hub is now officially open and ready for thousands to walk through its doors over this holiday season and beyond. Make sure to take a look if you haven’t already – it’s open seven days a week.
Share your thoughts on the Borough’s budget
Our community knows Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale better than anyone. With Council’s 2023–24 budget consultation now open, I’m so pleased to be calling on your deep knowledge and expertise.
You may recall a few years ago, Council ran a comprehensive budget survey asking residents, ratepayers and visitors for their thoughts and suggestions across five key budget categories. The success of that exercise, plus an increased certainty in financial planning in the wake of the pandemic, has allowed Council to reprise that survey for this year’s upcoming budget.
Everyone, from permanent residents to seasonal stayers and short-trip visitors, is encouraged to take part. Survey participants will again be asked their suggestions on new project ideas in five key budget categories, as well as the level of funds that should be directed towards certain areas of the budget.
More than 240 people took part in the 2020–21 budget consultation, and we’re hoping to boost those numbers even higher this time around. The greater the amount of people that take part, the better representation we have of what the community truly values and expects from Council in the coming year.
To learn more about the project and to take the survey, visit boq.news/budget23-24. The survey is scheduled to close at 11:59pm on Sunday 20 November.
Hub officially opens
Last Friday, more than 50 guests including politicians, dignitaries, Council staff and volunteers gathered to officially open the Queenscliffe Hub (Wirrng Wirrng). This was an opening that was more than a month in the making since the postponement of the original opening date. But if anything, this made the morning more special, as it allowed the many visitors in attendance to gain an appreciation of the building ‘in action’.
Wadawurrung Traditional Owner Corrina Eccles began proceedings with a thoughtful Welcome to Country that emphasised the importance of the name ‘Wirrng Wirrng’ – to “deep listen”. Deep listening is something that the Wadawurrung people have been doing to live in harmony with the land for 60,000 years, and they continue to do so to this day. Speeches from state and federal MPs Lisa Neville and Libby Coker followed, and both were extremely complimentary about the facility and the wonderful impact this will have on the lives of those who live in the Borough.
If you haven’t yet had the chance to pop into the Hub, I implore you to do so. Visit the Historical Museum and learn a bit more about your own backyard, or curl up by the afternoon sun with a magazine in the Library’s traditional reading room.
Queenscliff Music Festival not far away
I’m so excited to have the Queenscliff Music Festival return to Princess Park for the first time since 2019 after its forced absence due to the pandemic. QMF is the beating heart of the Borough’s festivals, attracting thousands of music lovers from across the country to take in a curated catalogue of local and international artists.
This year’s edition is another sell-out, and it’s a credit to Andrew Orvis and his team for achieving that feat more than a month out from the festival’s start date. The Borough has long been a major partner of QMF, and Council is pleased to work so harmoniously with the QMF team to keep the crowds coming back year after year.
If you’ve been lucky enough to grab yourself a ticket, I look forward to seeing you on the dancefloor on the last weekend of November!
Coastal plan released for dog beach
The Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning last week officially released its Coastal Adaptation Plan for Narrows (Dog) Beach, following numerous rounds of valuable and productive community consultation.
The plan recommends a minimal intervention approach which will maintain the wide beach and natural character valued by beach users. Short and medium-term recommendations include extending the existing sand fencing, installing additional signage, extending the beach access ramp, and relocating sections of Lovers Walk if necessary.
You can read the plan by visiting DELWP’s website.
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