CITY of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney and his deputy Cr Amy Johnson will keep their roles for twelve more months after being re-elected by their councillor colleagues on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
After an \u201canything but normal\u201d 18 months, Cr Moloney said he\u2019s looking forward to leading the city through a \u201crare\u201d second term, as businesses and activities are revived, and other big elections loom.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really important we have a consistent leadership team. We\u2019ve got a great CEO in place, and the same mayor and deputy mayor as we carry through into the Federal and State elections,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve made a lot of State and Federal connections, have built up rapport, they\u2019re aware of our projects, and we\u2019ll be going in pretty strong in the new year to make sure Ballarat\u2019s well looked after.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cr Moloney said he won\u2019t be running for mayor again in 2022, but in the meantime, there\u2019s some burning issues he wants to see addressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe community has been very clear that they want us to do better when it comes to the environment and sustainability.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve made some great progress in the last 12 months, but we need to do a lot more in the coming months, so this will be a focus of our second year of council,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to be well progressed, if not near finished with the Bridge Mall. People will look to that as a landmark change. I also want to see more people living in the CBD… providing a ready market for all those businesses that really do need the passing trade.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cr Johnson said she\u2019s \u201cthrilled\u201d to have the faith of her councillor colleagues for another term, in an \u201cincredibly challenging\u201d period for Ballarat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith restrictions easing, it\u2019s an exciting time for our city. We\u2019re seeing a significant number of tourists… coming into the city to visit our destinations, cafes and restaurants,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an exciting 12 months ahead of us, but I am conscious of how tough the last two years have been on residents of our city, and the fact we need to make sure we\u2019re supporting them, especially given the mental health challenges that many people have faced.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ahead of the State and Federal elections in 2022, Cr Johnson said she will be lobbying for funding for the Ballarat Link Road and Ballarat Regional Animal Shelter, and encouraging the City to reduce carbon emissions and invest in renewable energy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CITY of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney and his deputy Cr Amy Johnson will keep their roles for twelve more months after being re-elected by their councillor colleagues on Monday evening. After an \u201canything but normal\u201d 18 months, Cr Moloney said he\u2019s looking forward to leading the city through a \u201crare\u201d second term, as businesses […]<\/p>\n