Mayor’s Column: Cr Ross Ebbels from the Borough of Queenscliff, April 23

THE wheels continue to turn at Council while we navigate through the next few weeks and months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our finance team have been hard at work on the 2020–21 Draft Budget and we look forward to being able to present it to you on an interactive live stream next week.
This innovative new presentation is just another of the ways we have adapted to work with the physical distancing restrictions now in place, which would prevent any type of in-person event at Town Hall.
Live on facebook.com/queenscliffe at 6pm on May 4, myself, the Chief Executive Officer and Council program leaders will be sharing the details of our budget for next year. This is a great opportunity to understand some of the financial impacts of COVID-19, and learn which project ideas submitted by residents have made it into the budget.
We will release a PDF version of the draft budget in the lead-up to the live event so that you can prepare any questions or comments in advance. If you’d like to reacquaint yourself with the budget consultation process and its results, you can head to queenscliffe.vic.gov.au/budget to read the report.
The engineering team are also continuing to work tirelessly throughout, and you can see some of the fruits of their recent labour with the newly extended footpath outside Queenscliff Primary School. The extra 50 metres of concrete path creates an uninterrupted off-street route right up to the gate, whereas walking on the road for a period of time was previously unavoidable.
We know that students and parents are looking forward to returning to school when this pandemic is over and with these improvements, going back to school in person will be easier and safer than ever. This path was funded with assistance from the Victorian Government’s Walk to School Initiative and we must thank them for their generosity.
Finally, the Queenscliffe Hub design process is also ticking along in the background and we’re about to begin consultation on the initial draft design. The architects have been hard at work incorporating your feedback from the first two rounds of community consultation and appreciate the considered and detailed comments put forward by many members of the Queenscliffe community. Keep an eye on your letterbox for a flyer coming soon, or visit queenscliffe.vic.gov.au/hub for more information.
I’d like to thank our local community once more for their overwhelming cooperation with the restrictions put in place by the Victorian Government. If we all work together – and we have been, so far – we come out the other side happy, healthy and grateful for the unique place we live in.
And remember, for all the latest health advice and information on COVID-19, be sure to visit the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website, dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.

Cr Ross Ebbels
Mayor, Borough of Queenscliffe