Keeping busy behind the scenes

HELLO to all Borough of Queenscliffe residents, ratepayers and visitors. While we’ve all been at home over the past couple of weeks, rugging up inside and doing our bit to help quash this latest outbreak, there’s been plenty happening behind the scenes at council.

Last chance to apply for council’s event sponsorship grants.

Have you been thinking of applying for an event sponsorship grant from council? You’ve got until the end of July to submit your application, so get in quick! A number of our favourite local festivals and events are returning to the borough, and council has opened a second round of event sponsorship opportunities for local residents, ratepayers and community groups.

If you have an idea for an event that will promote a healthy, involved and creative borough, we want to hear from you! You or your community group may be eligible for financial support and sponsorship from council to pay for the costs of running your event.

To apply, visit council’s website at boq.news/es2021 or contact Customer Service for more information.

New fencing spruces up Lonnie trail

If you’ve been out for a walk in Point Lonsdale during your daily exercise over the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed that there’s some new fencing on a popular coastal trail. We’re replacing 100 lineal metres of old wire fencing with brand new timber on the walking path between Point Lonsdale Pier and the Rip View car park, beautifying the track while keeping in line with its coastal feel.

Forty metres have already been completed, with the rest to come later this financial year, and the initial reception from the community on our Facebook page has been extremely positive, which has been great to see. Best of all, the job’s being done by local Point Lonsdale tradies – and you know how much I love to support local business, especially during these trying times. Hope to see you out on the path soon.

Share ideas on council’s tourist parks

Council’s tourist parks provide affordable accommodation for visitors, generate income that helps us keep rates low, and attract new customers to support local businesses. To make sure the parks are performing at their best, council is currently reviewing the way the parks are operating. This review will identify ways to make our caravan parks more financially sustainable, and support the delivery of new facilities as outlined in our Caravan Park Master Plan.

The best way to share your ideas is by taking our online survey at boq.news/QTPsurvey. We’ll be asking about how you currently use our parks, what you like best about them, and what you think could be improved about they way they’re operated and managed.

You can also learn more about the project at council’s website. We’re taking feedback until 11.59pm on Sunday, August 15, so be sure to tell anyone you know who cares about our tourist parks to help them have their say.

Find out your family history from home

The Queenscliff Library is one of the staples of our community. But while it’s been closed during the recent lockdown, our good friends at Geelong Regional Libraries have still been making your reading and learning experience a positive one, right from the comfort of your own home.

The latest offer is one that can’t be missed – Ancestry.com has generously made Ancestry Library Edition available to library members wherever they are! For free access, you will need to log in via the Geelong Regional Libraries website (catalogue.grlc.vic.gov.au/ancestry) with your card barcode and PIN. Perfect for professionals and hobbyists, library members can look up censuses, immigration records, family histories and more from the 7,000-plus databases available.

If you’re eligible, book in to get your coronavirus vaccine

As the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the country, it’s important that we all get vaccinated to protect ourselves and others. I got my first jab a few weeks ago at Bellarine Community Health in Point Lonsdale. It was quick and efficient, and I’m booked in to get my second dose soon.

If you’re eligible to get vaccinated (you can check online at health.gov.au), make a time to see your GP. Every person in the borough who gets vaccinated helps to keep our community safe and will let us get back to the festivals, events and gatherings that we love.

As always, if you have any questions or ideas you’d like to share about how we can make the borough even better, you can contact me at any time.

Kind regards,
Cr Ross Ebbels
Mayor, Borough of Queenscliffe