THE 2022 Ballarat\u2019s Best Ideas competition has taken off, after its official launch on the roof of Camp Street\u2019s old law courts on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
An initiative of Ballarat-made and run online suggestion box platform Suggest it, co-founder Nick Clare said the six-week \u201ccrowd-sourcing festival\u201d invites community members and visitors to share their best ideas for local businesses, organisations, and events.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year we\u2019ve got two real keen focuses. We want to hear ideas from our young people in the community because we know they\u2019ve got great ideas for businesses, organisations, and the city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other is visitors. We know people are coming back to Ballarat for the Begonia Festival, and to see friends and relatives, so we want to hear their ideas for the city, and what experiences they want to see for businesses, organisations, and events throughout our visitor economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best ideas will be put together to an esteemed judging panel, there\u2019s three big prizes for our idea gurus, and each of the businesses or groups set to action the winning ideas will win prizes to help make them happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although not a winning suggestion, a particularly memorable idea example received during the 2021 campaign came from a young community member who envisioned a wave pool for surfing at the Ballarat Wildlife Park lagoon.<\/p>\n
City of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said creative thinking for Ballarat is key as the region continues to recover from the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got this opportunity to reshape the city in a way that serves our next generation of up-and-coming leaders in unique ways,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking back to 2019, many of these ideas would have been crazy, impractical, totally impossible, but fast forward to 2022 and these ideas are quite possible, and things we could use to shape the way be do business and events.\u201d<\/p>\n