Inclusive framework included – City of Ballarat council briefs

CITY of Ballarat councillors adopted the final draft of the Inclusion Framework 2022/26 during their regular meeting on Wednesday, 26 October following community feedback in August and September.

The framework incorporates inclusive plans for the city’s queer, ageing, disabled, Indigenous and multicultural population.

Cr Belinda Coates said the framework will have an overarching benefit for people in the community.

“It’s really another big step forward in making our services in the community more equitable, equal and diverse,” she said.

“In looking at the needs of these groups individually and collectively, it has so many multiple benefits for those groups and for the whole community.”

Nearly 890 people offered feedback for the drafts during the period of public exhibition.

Cr Mark Harris said the level of community consultation in developing the framework provided a “sense of recognition” for people in Ballarat.

“They do feel it’s an inclusive city and it’s somewhere they can be proud to call home. It’s really important we take that on,” he said.

“This is the start of a journey, and we need to now keep trying to be best practice here for what we can achieve in these areas across the future council to come.”

 

Tender awarded for Ballarat Library

The nearly $5.7 million contract for the redevelopment of the Ballarat Library has been awarded to H Troon.

The works will entail the repositioning of the library’s entrance to face towards the civic plaza of Gov Hub and Civic Hall.

Additional funding of nearly $500,000 was pulled from the municipality’s inflationary fund established during their previous council meeting to assist in covering shortfall costs.

Cr Ben Taylor said the site’s redevelopment would be more beneficial than building a new library.

“I recall only so many years ago you’re talking $20 million to build a library, a small library at that,” he said.

“Here we have an opportunity to increase the patronage, to broaden the space, to provide other opportunities in areas for inclusiveness.

“This, as much as it has now caused us to go over and allocate more funds, gives us really good value for money.”

Cr Coates said the library’s redevelopment would be a broad benefit for the community, with the site having “peak[ed] at over 1400 visitors a day.”

 

Plaques policy in place

A new policy was adopted to steer the municipality’s decisions around public and roadside plaques and memorials.

The policy will outline the City’s process when it comes to the installation, removal and approval of plaques and memorials like commemorative trees and park benches.

Cr Des Hudson supported the motion and said the policy would allow for a greater “connection to place” in implementing memorials.

“I’ve had many walks along the beaches of Adelaide… where I first probably saw this as a model,” he said.

“Plenty of park benches and often on there is a plaque of a person that tells a story about a connection to place.

“When you pause as a visitor in some of those locations you get a sense of the people that made up that community.”

 

Annual report read

Council reflected on the developments of the past year with the City of Ballarat Annual Report 2021/22.

COVID recovery was a major theme on the agenda, with the Council Plan 2021/25 highlighted, alongside the Ballarat Now and Into the Future campaign, which is estimated to have brought more than $370 million into the economy.

City of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney pointed to the $15 million redevelopment of Bridge Mall as “one of the most influential” projects from the current council.

Cr Coates said the report provided a transparent way to show the community how council has adapted to pandemic recovery.

“It does spell out some of the challenges that we’re facing and the work that’s happening regardless of those challenges,” she said.

“We’ve still got to do the Council Plan, deliver on projects, undertake planning and things like the Commonwealth Games announcement.

“It does give some idea of the breadth and depth of work that happens in the community and the financial enormity of it as well.”

 

Councillors’ service recognised

Cr Moloney briefly suspended the standing orders of the meeting to present two Municipal Association of Victoria, or MAV, long service awards to councillors.

The recipients were Cr Hudson for 20 years and Cr Coates for 10 years.

Cr Amy Johnson had already received her award for 10 years during an MAV function.

Crs Harris and Taylor also received awards for 10 non-consecutive years’ service.