![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/ballarat\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/10\/DSC_0171-for-web-300x200.jpg\")
Initially, Cr Taylor wasn\u2019t thinking about standing for Mayor, but with seven years of council experience under his belt, he decided to give it a go.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just an opportunity that came up and I thought at the end, why not?\u201d he said. \u201cSo here I am today, having the support of the councillors, which is the big thing, to be able to put my hand up and have their support to be the Mayor for the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Passionate about community advocacy, Cr Coates is greatly honoured by her new title.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good opportunity at any stage to have the status to act on behalf of the Mayor, if need be,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSustainability and social justice are core… One of our biggest opportunities is around action on climate change, our cover neutrality and 100 per cent renewables target for 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother big challenge is waste and how we raise the bar, really improve our recycling systems and continue advocacy. It needs the support of all levels of government.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we get those things right, if we make our decisions in the best interests of the community for social and environmental benefit, we\u2019ll have economic benefit for the city as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cr Samantha McIntosh said she was sad to be moving out of her mayoral role but pleased with what has been done.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud as punch to have been able to achieve such a significant roll out of major projects,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m over the moon that we\u2019ve been able to put into our council plan, and have budgeted, a number of significant council projects for the future year, and for a following year with the new council.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a number of significant projects on the agenda that we\u2019ve started working through, for instance, the fernery. I hope to see, in completion, that spectacular gothic fernery maybe mid next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heading into the fourth year of the current council group, Cr McIntosh is looking forward to more development of the Ballarat West Employment Zone precinct, a healthy environmental response to waste, the benefits of growing tourism numbers and further delivery of the events strategy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BALLARAT will experience different leadership in the last part of this council term, after Cr Ben Taylor was elected Mayor on Monday night, with Cr Belinda Coates as Deputy. Looking ahead to 2020, Cr Taylor said he has plans to finish the things his council group\u2019s started. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of money that\u2019s come through […]<\/p>\n