Mayor's Column – 6 October 2022

Published on 06 October 2022

Hello to all residents, ratepayers and visitors to the Borough of Queenscliffe. It’s now spring and we’ve moved into daylight-saving time! That means longer nights, barbeques in the sun, and good times spent with family and friends. Just don’t forget to move the clock forward in your car – it always seems to be the one that we change last. 

Queenscliffe Hub now open to the public
The newest building in the Hesse St streetscape, the Queenscliffe Hub, is now open to the public with services having resumed in the library, visitor information centre and historical museum. Officially known as ‘Wirrng Wirrng’ – a Wadawurrung phrase meaning to listen with both ears – the state-of-the-art facility is sure to be a fantastic community asset, and we at Council look forward to seeing its many uses over the coming months and years. An official opening, featuring members of parliament and dignitaries from across the Hub’s tenant organisations, has been postponed but is set to be held in the next month.

Launching the Songtimes project
Earlier this week I received the wonderful privilege of helping launch the Songtimes project at New Hall in Point Lonsdale. This initiative is the brainchild of Kelly Caldwell, the First Nations Studies teacher at Queenscliff Primary School, who has worked hand in hand with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners to develop a program that teaches children the language of the land on which they live.

The Songtimes project launch featured children from QPS singing five songs that teach the Wadawurrung names of plants, birds, colours, body parts and phrases. These songs have also been recorded and are available on CD accompanying a beautifully illustrated bound songbook. I noted in my speech on the evening that a project like this goes beyond the classroom, to not only this generation but future generations, and that the project also helps to keep Wadawurrung language alive and in use.

You can learn more about the project by visiting songtimes.au

New recycled barriers at St A’s
Keeping with our local primary school theme, and the students at St Aloysius Catholic Primary School in Queenscliff are now the beneficiaries of a safer and more aesthetically pleasing trip to school, thanks to the brand new barriers installed by Council at the school’s Bethune Street entrance.

These sturdy and safe barriers are a fascinating composite product made up of recycled kerbside waste, such as milk bottles, shampoo bottles and bleach bottles. These items are then combined with wood flour – a waste product sourced from the Australian furniture industry – to create the finished barrier.

Best of all, by using these products, we're supporting the use of recycled and reclaimed materials by diverting 639kg from landfill. You can see a picture of the barriers by visiting Council’s Facebook page.

Traffic calming on Kirk Road
We're coming to the end of the trial period for the temporary roundabout at the corner of Kirk Road and Winterley Road. It's now time to review the trial and determine if the roundabout was an effective traffic calming measure that addressed the concerns raised by residents. To help us make an informed, community driven decision for the future of this intersection, we're now asking for your feedback on three proposed solutions.

The three proposed solutions are: 1. a raised intersection, 2. a permanent roundabout, or 3. reverting back to a standard intersection. Council’s website provides more detailed information on each of these options, as well as a matrix that assesses each option according to the perceived level of pedestrians safety, ease of use for vehicles, and design cost.

We invite you to complete the survey below to help assist Council in its decision-making. The survey will ask whether you support the continuation of traffic calming measures at this intersection, and if so, which solution you prefer. Visit boq.news/kirkrd to read the background information and take part in the survey.

Checking out the progress at the new ferry terminal
The new $15.9 million Queenscliff Ferry Terminal upgrade is well underway and I was lucky enough to get a tour of the construction site last week from Matt McDonald, CEO at Searoad Ferries, who are one of the largest employers in town.

I think that this new terminal will not only be a community asset but a tourist drawcard in its own right, and I have no doubt that people will travel to Queenscliff to dine at a café that has the best views of Port Phillip and the Heads.  

You too can get a peek behind the scenes by visiting Searoad’s website, where they have a number of video updates documenting the building process.

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