MAYOR’S COLUMN – October 25

100^th Anniversary of Remembrance Day

November 11 marks the 100^th anniversary of the armistice that ended the fighting during the First World War.

The Queenscliff / Point Lonsdale RSL Sub-Branch will hold a Remembrance Day March from the Queenscliff Post Office to Fort Queenscliff on November 11. Please assemble for the March from 10am in readiness to step off at 10.15am. A Service will be held at Fort Queenscliff at 10.30am.

Everyone in the community is encouraged to join the anniversary March and Service. Please wear a poppy to honour our armed forces, and if a member of your family has been awarded for wartime service, please wear their medals with pride.

2018 Bellarine Arts Trail

The 2018 Bellarine Arts Trail will be held over the Melbourne Cup weekend on Saturday November 3 and Sunday November 4 between 10am and 4pm.

The Arts Trail allows you to discover art and meet the artists in their studios and at galleries and creative venues throughout Queenscliff, Point Lonsdale, Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads. An event highlight this year is the inclusion of world renowned sculptor Rod Dudley, who will open his Queenscliff studio to visitors and exhibit his ‘Empire Day’ group sculpture of 1981 at the Queenscliff Town Hall.

Participating venues in the Borough of Queenscliffe include local commercial galleries, the Pavilion at Queenscliff, the Point Lonsdale Primary School, the Queenscliff Town Hall, and the Queenscliffe Neighbourhood House.

Arts Trail maps are available from the Queenscliffe Visitor Information Centre, Borough of Queenscliffe Council offices and Arts Trail venues, or you can download a printable version of the Bellarine Arts Trail map from the Barwon Heads Arts Council website barwonheadsartscouncil.com.au.

Tree vandalism in Queenscliff

Council was shocked and disappointed to discover considerable intentional damage to a group of trees in the Stevens Street Road Reserve in Queenscliff.

We are disgusted by this destructive behaviour. Every case of vegetation vandalism costs ratepayers. However, the costs in terms of native habitat, visual, historical, and environmental value, and urban character, require far more effort and time to recover.

Council officers have set up signage at the site of the damaged trees, and Council’s Local Laws team is conducting an investigation into the suspected tree vandalism.

Any person who is found responsible for vegetation vandalism is liable for prosecution and will be actively pursued for the recovery of costs, including fines under Council’s Local Law, the Planning and Environment Act and the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.

I encourage anyone with information to contact Council’s Local Laws team on 03 5258 1377 so that the person or people responsible can be made accountable.

Sport and Recreation Precinct

My fellow Councillors and I were delighted to join the state Member for Bellarine, Lisa Neville and the Honourable Sarah Henderson, federal Member for Corangamite, as well as representatives of the Queenscliff Community Sports Club, Queenscliff Football Netball Club and Queenscliff Cricket Club, to officially open the upgraded Queenscliff Sport and Recreation Precinct on October 12.

This event provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the collective accomplishment of everyone involved in the delivery of these state-of-the-art facilities, and thank the state and federal governments for providing funding for upgrades at the precinct. Council is particularly thankful to Lisa Neville for providing additional funding for the netball game day facility.

We are very proud to acknowledge the contribution of local contractors to the completion of this project, including lead contractor John Monahan Pty Ltd and subcontractors, who managed construction of the netball courts, cricket nets, car park and drainage infrastructure, and BDH Constructions Pty Ltd, who built the netball game day facility.

October events

We have enjoyed an eventful October this year. Council would particularly like to congratulate the Queenscliffe Historical Museum on a very successful History Week 2018, during which I was honoured to speak at the unveiling of the Captain Lonsdale Plaque at the Point Lonsdale foreshore. We also congratulate the Bellarine Railway on the ever-popular Day Out With Thomas, and we were proud to welcome the 2018 Around The Bay bike ride early in the month.

Point Lonsdale Pier

Anybody who takes a regular walk along Point Lonsdale Beach will have noticed that one of the pier pylons is missing. Parks Victoria have advised Council that they are aware of the damage to the pier and have commenced repair works.

Office closure

Please be advised that Council’s offices at 50 Learmonth Street, Queenscliff will be closed on November 6 for the Melbourne Cup Day public holiday.

Cr Susan Salter

Mayor, Borough of Queenscliffe