Bringing the community back together at Christmas

MERRY Christmas to all Borough of Queenscliffe residents, ratepayers and visitors.

This is my last mayor’s column before Christmas, so I’d like to wish you all a safe and festive holiday season and I hope that you are able to share it with your loved ones.

We’ve certainly been getting in the Christmas spirit at council with a number of successful events taking place over the last fortnight.

Our annual Lighting of the Tree festival at Point Lonsdale was this year transformed into a family-friendly street party on the first Saturday of December, and wasn’t it wonderful to see the main street of Lonnie lined with people enjoying the festivities?

I even got to welcome Santa himself to Front Beach, to the delight of the many children in attendance.

We followed that up with a late night shopping event in Queenscliff the following Friday, where traders made the most of daylight savings to open their doors until 9pm and welcome into their stores a great crowd of locals and tourists.

The team from Queenscliff Music Festival curated a legendary line-up of local musicians to entertain at various venues around town, while a free photo booth and face painting had plenty of kids impressed.

Reflecting on a trying year for us all

At the tree-lighting ceremony last Saturday week, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak about the challenges of 2021 and how our caring community has worked together to overcome those difficulties and look with renewed optimism towards Christmas and beyond.

I’ve adapted a portion of that speech below to share with you.

Many of us, I think, had hoped that 2021 would be a better year than 2020. We’d hoped the pandemic would ease, and life would return to normal.

I don’t need to detail exactly how 2021 failed to live up to this promise – after all, you all lived through it too.

But I do want to acknowledge that for many of us, from our traders and working families, to our oldest residents and our youngest, this hasn’t been an easy year.

We’ve all had to work hard and make sacrifices for our most vulnerable residents, and I’m proud of how the borough has pulled together to keep ourselves and each other safe during this pandemic.

For much of this year, we have not been able to be together. Between lockdowns, travel restrictions, and gathering limits, we have spent much of this year being apart from the people we love.

Some of you may still be missing family and friends interstate or overseas, and my thoughts and very best wishes go to you.

This year, at this Christmas, I am more grateful than ever for the time I get to spend with the people I love – for the time that we all get to spend with each other.

“In this spirit, and on behalf of the Borough of Queenscliffe, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, surrounded by people that bring you joy.”

Event sponsorship program now open

With major events back on the agenda and visitors returning in their droves to the borough, council is opening up its event sponsorship program for another year.

If you or your community organisation has a new idea for an event, project or activity that will support and promote a healthy, involved and creative community, then we’re here to help.

The application form for the 2022–23 program is now available to complete online in digital or hard-copy format.

As always, council recommends you read our policy on event sponsorship before proceeding with the application, and our economic development team is also more than happy to have a chat with you about any ideas you may have before you get writing.

Visit boq.news/eventsponsorship to get started.

Councillor Listening Posts are back

For the first time in almost two years, Councillor Listening Posts are back in the borough! These regularly scheduled get-togethers, held at various locations around Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale, allow residents to chat with councillors, provide feedback and ask questions in an informal setting.

For some of you, this may be the first chance to meet our ‘new’ council in person.

I’ll be there, along with my four fellow councillors, at the Queenscliff Market on Monday, December 27 between 10am and 1pm.

It’s a public holiday, so I hope you’ll be able to attend too and take in the fun of the market over the bustling Christmas/New Year period.

Of course, if you have anything you’d like to discuss with me about the borough at any time before then, drop me a line via the contact details on council’s website.

Kind regards,
Cr Ross Ebbels
Mayor, Borough of Queenscliffe