Chance to meet with councillors face-to-face

ONE of the most enjoyable things about being on council is getting out in the community and speaking with people face-to-face.

Representing an area the size of the Bellarine, there are obviously issues distinct to each town, and we need to have a detailed understanding of them all.

Of course there will always be some difficult subjects where a resident is unhappy, but it’s often far more productive to have a two-way conversation in person than going back and forth via email or on social media.

I’m really looking forward to our next round of ‘Listening Post’ sessions with the community on November 20.

This is where all three Bellarine Ward councillors visit a number of towns on the peninsula and set up on the street, where everyone is welcome to come up and chat.

The last time we did this, in May, we visited Ocean Grove, Drysdale and Portarlington. The response in each community was very positive.

Frequently raised topics that day included the re-opening of venues and services post-COVID, property development, new community facilities, infrastructure maintenance, and the Victorian Government’s Distinctive Area and Landscape planning policy.

This time we’ll be available at the following spots (all Saturday, November 20):

• 9am-10.30am: Hitchcock Avenue, Barwon Heads
• 11am-12pm: Outside St Leonards IGA, 1370 Murradoc Road
• 12.30pm-2pm: Leopold (exact location to be confirmed)

These sessions are part of a commitment from all councillors to making ourselves available, and they help us best represent the community’s views when we’re making decisions in the council chamber.

Everyone is welcome to attend and there is no requirement to pre-register – just turn up on the day and say hello. We’d love to see you.

A big summer ahead

The influx of people to Greater Geelong the moment Melbourne’s ‘borders’ were re-opened was no great surprise.

We knew Melburnians would be eager to get out and enjoy their newfound freedom, and what better place than Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula?

But the sheer volume of people enjoying the Geelong Waterfront and our coastal towns over the Melbourne Cup long weekend was quite extraordinary.

Cup Day was a reminder of pre-COVID times, with beaches packed and car parks very difficult to find!

While locals may take some time to get used to the crowds again having had so much space to themselves for the better part of 20 months, these visitors are just so important for our region.

If just a fraction of those heading to the beach outlay some money in a local cafe or shop nearby, or on their way into or out of town, our local economy receives an almighty uplift.

Visitation is a great thing, and the more people we can welcome here over the coming months, the better.

Of course, it does require some planning and management.

Something that was raised by quite a few people at the end of Cup Day was the need for public bins to be emptied frequently to keep them from overflowing.

This is a major undertaking in itself.

Using Eastern Beach in Geelong as an example, the City of Greater Geelong team collected an extraordinary three tonnes of waste – that’s 200 full wheelie bins emptied – on Cup Day alone.

In coastal towns on the Bellarine, public bins at beaches and waterfront locations are looked after by the state government’s coastal land management authorities.

This is Bellarine Bayside Coastal Management on the north of the peninsula, and the Barwon Coast Committee of Management on the south side.

The City of Greater Geelong manages public bins inland (on the land we’re responsible for), such as at playgrounds, parks and reserves.

The waste team does extensive planning prior to the peak summer holiday season and adds extra resources to cope.

However, residents and visitors can also play a big role in helping by taking their rubbish home or minimising the amount they generate.

Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine has recently released an awareness campaign for the summer titled, ‘Great things are worth the wait’.

Their message is that if you’re out and about over summer, please be patient, take your time, and understand that all staff are doing their best to keep everyone safe.

It will still be great and worth the wait.

Cr Trent Sullivan,
Deputy mayor