Arts options to be investigated – City of Ballarat council meeting briefs

A NOTICE of motion to undertake engagement with local arts organisations, community members and stakeholders to prepare a report with recommendations for council was passed at last week’s regular City of Ballarat council meeting.

The notice also called to ensure current approved council visions, plans, frameworks and strategies that reference the arts and cultural sector are a strong foundation for the future.

It was introduced by Cr Samantha McIntosh and amended by Cr Jay Morrison to add the requirement for community engagement.

The move came after an initial notice of motion by Cr Morrison, which called for a more detailed report on how council can enhance its support for the arts community, was lost.

It asked for the report to provide options for the development of a strategy, details on existing support, a map of current infrastructure, consideration of the development of an arts and culture advisory committee, and potential mechanisms to support the local arts community.

A significant number of community submissions were received supporting Cr Morrison’s notice of motion.

“[This motion is about] ensuring every Ballarat resident has access to the same opportunities, creative expression, connection and personal growth,” he said.

“These groups are not just cultural assets, they are pillars of our community that support social cohesion.”

Cr Ted Lapkin said he did not see the need for such a comprehensive report, considering the City of Ballarat already has a Creative City Strategy, and said ratepayers should not need to pay more to support the arts community.

“Our 2025/2026 no fluff budget was a triumph of fiscal sobriety yet now I’m hearing one month later we’re in danger of falling off the wagon,” he said.

“This debate is about a relatively small segment of our community that wants to play well the rest of us pay.”

However, Cr Des Hudson said that Cr Lapkin’s statement was incorrect.

“That is far from the mark… for so many reasons of what a city providing for its people is about,” Cr Hudson said.

“It is about us providing opportunities for everyone.”

Crs Morrison, Hudson, Tess Morgan and mayor Tracey Hargreaves supported the initial notice of motion while Crs Lapkin, McIntosh, Jim Rinaldi, Damon Saunders and Ben Taylor did not.

The alternative motion was introduced by Cr McIntosh and Cr Lapkin said he was supportive of this motion as it was less prescriptive.

“This motion gets to the point, it’s less prescriptive… for that reason I enthusiastically support it.”

Cr Morrison said he was disappointed and thought there were gaps in the new approach, however, still supported the motion.

“The community has been very, very clear that there are gaps in the support,” he said.

“This is a watered down approach but I am glad that the mover and seconder were open to my amendment that we engage with the local arts organisations.”

 

Community advocacy continues

Members of Free Palestine Ballarat and the Victorian Socialists Ballarat rallied outside the meeting at town hall for the third consecutive month calling for more transparency around the decision by the City of Ballarat to terminate its contract with Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions (BREAZE).

The BREAZE contract was terminated in February after comments made by the former president were deemed by the City to be antisemitic and discriminatory. Group members asked questions at the meeting including what definition of antisemitic was used and if consultation with experts was conducted when making the decision.

Director of corporate services John Hausler said details of the matter will continue to remain confidential, however the working definition of antisemitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance was used.

Speaking to The Ballarat Times before the meeting, Victorian Socialists Ballarat representative Ben Nunquam said he would like to see the City of Ballarat provide transparency and apologise to BREAZE members.

“The main thing we want is better governance practices exhibited by the City of Ballarat,” he said.

“We want transparency in the decision making and the policy formation and implementation in Ballarat, particularly things around antisemitism.

“Why isn’t the council consulting the Jewish Council of Australia? There are plenty of groups that have differing views on what antisemitism is.”

Questions which included reference to particular councillors, staff members, community members or contractual elements, or that were deemed to embarrass someone, were disallowed.

 

Bridge Mall road proclaimed

The road that runs through the redeveloped Bridge Mall has been proclaimed a public road. A notice will now be published in the Victorian Government Gazette.

 

Procurement policy updated

The municipality’s procurement policy has been updated to have an increased weighting to local presence and remove mandatory sustainability criteria.

Instead, there will be a compulsory requirement to consider which sustainability criteria may apply in the tender design process.

Cr Taylor said the change is about making sure the process is useful.

“We gave it a go when looking at the different criteria but in the end it didn’t actually make a difference,” he said.

“Even when we put this in place, how do we actually measure it? Because all we get is a tender document with some lines or sentences about it but we don’t actually understand what the outcome is.”

 

Expense policy amended

The councillor expenses and support policy has been updated to increase the hourly rate for childcare expenses from $20 an hour to the national minimum wage for an adult casual.

Cr Morrison said this was a good move to assist in creating gender equity in local government.

“I think it’s really important when we look at elected roles that they are drawing upon the diversity of the community,” he said.

“The reality is, if we want to see more careers… and to see more gender equity in local government, then little measures like this can make a real difference to someone.”

 

Waste tender awarded

Superior Pak has been awarded a more than $5.6 million contract to provide 10 low‑entry, side‑loading green and general waste truck compactors.

Seven of the municipality’s trucks were due to be replaced while two trucks will assist in kerbside glass collection and a further truck is an insurance replacement following an accident.

Providers were accessed on the Municipal Association of Victoria panel contract for specialised trucks and truck bodies.