Mayor’s Column: Cr Ross Ebbels from the Borough of Queenscliffe, September 10

WITH the Council caretaker period and elections approaching soon, I thought I would use the final Mayor’s Column of this Council term to reflect on the past 12 months and some of the improvements we’ve put in place to benefit the Borough of Queenscliffe and its community.
There is no doubt that Council has never been more important to our community than during this pandemic. The townspeople of Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale have been amazing with how they have helped one another during these difficult times, and I could not be prouder to be your Mayor.
During the pandemic we have worked closely with Bellarine Community Health via the release of a number of videos. Our economic development team have been in constant conversations with local businesses and shopkeepers around how best to support them during these unprecedented times. The persistence and determination of many locals who have been affected by the pandemic has been inspirational.
Starting up a presence on social media has allowed us a more rapid way of disseminating information, and in turn allowed you all to communicate directly with us using a different medium. The take-up since beginning the Facebook page in January has been overwhelming and we’re very thankful to everyone that’s given us a ‘like’. Similarly, our 3225 Love Local Shop Local page has been a brilliant reminder of what we appreciate in our town during these difficult times. Shining a light on our shop owners and promoting the various ways their businesses have pivoted or expanded during COVID-19 has been beneficial to both trader and shopper.
We endeavour to continue our increased community engagement, be that via project consultations, social media, or news publications. Discussing local issues with our community associations remains an important activity, and we look forward to resuming our in-person community listening posts once restrictions permit. The recent Council Community Satisfaction Survey indicated that we are heading in the right direction; while this is some positive reinforcement, we are always striving to do more for our community and certainly there is hard work ahead in the midst of the pandemic. The appointment of a new CEO in Martin Gill has also helped open new avenues of communication to which we are grateful.
This year’s budget process gave us the strongest indication yet of what you want to see in the Borough, and being able to implement some of those things straight away – such as some highly requested footpaths – was certainly satisfying. For instance, my dog Pippa loves the dog bowl and water tap that was installed at Narrows Beach! Sometimes what may seem like the smallest things can have the greatest impact.
That said, the big-ticket items are still progressing well. The Queenscliffe Hub’s design plans have been released and we thank everyone for their feedback and suggestions to this point. Works are continuing on the beautification of Hesse Street South, where we are undergrounding power lines, adding trees and installing new car parks to make it a safer area for all. Members at the Point Lonsdale Tennis Club have had their night tennis options expanded with the construction of new lighting and the resurfacing of two courts. The historic Bunny Woods area of the Point Lonsdale foreshore has had revegetation works completed while we look at options regarding a new bike track in the Borough. And Queenscliff’s Avenue of Honour received new plantings for the first time in decades with the Monterey cypress trial beginning earlier this year.
All of this could not be achieved without the assistance of my fellow Councillors and I thank them immensely for their support throughout my Mayoral period, and indeed the entire Council term.
Please stay safe and well, and I hope to speak to you again soon.
Cr Ross Ebbels
Mayor, Borough of Queenscliffe

P.S. Students from Monash University have joined forces with the Queenscliffe Historical Museum to undertake a research project documenting the responses and reactions of the wider Borough of Queenscliffe community during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The students are seeking a diverse range of stories to create a detailed picture of the present that will be used to inform future generations. This information may be used as part of a podcast or short video.
If you would like to share your experiences, simply complete the short survey by heading to this link: bit.ly/QHMCOV