Mayor’s column, February 27: Ross Ebbels from the Borough of Queenscliffe

THE Avenue of Honour will soon be supplemented with new trees as part of a trial to plant Monterey cypress in the Avenue’s existing gaps. This is a project that Council has been working on for quite some time and the recent recommendation to start planting is the most significant step yet. By starting new planting now, it will allow us to gradually replace the Avenue with younger, healthier trees. I’d like to thank the Avenue of Honour Reference Group who have worked diligently to come to this solution. For more information and to view the timeline for the project, head to queenscliffe.vic.gov.au/avenue.

Thanks to everyone who took part in our consultation on the proposed pedestrian crossing on Gellibrand Street. Nearly a hundred residents and visitors shared their ideas for how we could make this area even safer, and your feedback will make the project even better. In short, we heard that you agreed with us that speeding traffic and a lack of safe pedestrian infrastructure is a problem. We also heard that your preferred design is a wombat or zebra crossing, that speed limit reductions and line marking should be considered, and that this should be part of a broader approach into pedestrian safety in the area. To learn about our next steps for this project, visit Council’s website and navigate to the ‘latest news’ section.

It’s your final chance to book for our coming Wiser Driver course, where there are only a few spots remaining for what is an interactive and fun way to refresh your knowledge of the roads. It’s run over four weeks in March, and is informative, informal and friendly. Each session runs for two hours at the Queenscliff Town Hall and everything is provided, including morning tea. Call Lisa or Julie today on 5258 4132.

Council has just announced the date for its annual e-waste drop-off day, which will be held on May 16 at the Ocean View car park in Queenscliff. This fantastic initiative has been running in the Borough for eight years now, and in that time we’ve collected more than 61,000 kilograms of electronic waste to be recycled and diverted from landfill. This year’s collection is especially important as it’s the first time around that e-waste cannot be placed in your regular residential rubbish bin – that means any item with a plug, battery or power cord has to be disposed of via alternate methods. We hope that you’ll join us in May to get rid of any e-waste, and we thank you for helping keep our waste stream clear of hazardous materials.

Join myself and fellow Councillors for our next Listening Post, to be held at Queenscliff Uniting Church on March 6 at 3pm. The next Ordinary Meeting of Council is at 7pm tonight, Thursday, February 27, at the Queenscliff Town Hall.

Please feel free to say hi when you see me around the Borough.

Cr Ross Ebbels
Mayor, Borough of Queenscliffe