Lots of issues on Moloney’s radar

COUNCILLOR Daniel Moloney hopes to “hit the ground running” into a second term if elected next month.

Looking forward to some “continuity of knowledge” met with “fresh blood,” he said council will benefit from collaboration between new faces and returned councillors.

Lots of the items on his agenda run under the banner of sustainable, manageable growth.

“Infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with residential development, especially in transport. We can’t be asleep at the wheel,” Cr Moloney said.

“We’re playing catch-up, particularly through Ballarat west… outside Ballarat High School, down Learmonth Street, the new estates of Ballymanus and Winter Valley, and Lucas.

“A few of these places just didn’t exist in a substantive way when the last election was held, so keeping up with challenges in these congestion points is important as the city grows.”

Reviving and re-energising Ballarat’s events and festival scene is another high priority for Cr Moloney and he plans to lobby the State regarding the Link Road, bus network, and access to rail travel.

“We need to plan where train stations three, four and five will go and see the first of those constructed.

“Ballarat is an anomaly with just two stations, but you’ll see the park-and-ride suburban train commute become a thing from the outskirts,” he said.

“In the next 10 years, that will be a feasible form of transport. Someone living in Cardigan could get on the train and come into work in the Ballarat CBD.”

He hopes “basic” infrastructure works like filling in missing sections of the footpath network, adding bike paths and improving roads will be actioned.

“It’s simple stuff we should do more of, and I’m staggard by how little work has been done to convert some of our gravel roads to sealed roads,” Cr Moloney said.

A communications professional and former journalist, Cr Moloney has worked in State government departments like VLine, in construction companies, and runs his own business.

His public role so far has been like nothing he’s ever done; an “incredible experience, but big learning curve.”

Although progress in local government might take more time, he said the action and change that can eventuate is exciting, “humbling and quite incredible.”

“When you do achieve it, it’s huge. Ballarat is so unique because you’re planning the evolution of an entire city.

“I lived in Melbourne for 17 years where most municipalities are landlocked and limited in what they can build. In Ballarat there’s so many possibilities and opportunities to really find our point of difference,” he said.

“Post-COVID, Melbourne will really see how wonderful places like Ballarat are, and we’ll see significant migration that we’ve got to get ready for now.”