AFTER five months as a councillor, my strong beliefs about the value of listening to the community have only been reinforced.<\/p>\n
It is clear to me that it is vital to listen to our local residents; to hear what issues are important to them; and to draw on their expertise and knowledge to develop and grow.<\/p>\n
It is then up to councillors to convert those ideas into reality, and to work with other levels of government to secure the necessary funding and services.<\/p>\n
One of those community-led projects, that I’m proud to have seen delivered, has just come to fruition.<\/p>\n
On Wear it Purple Day in 2019, Council received a request from a member of the community to install a rainbow crossing.<\/p>\n
This was an idea that generated support and led to the installation of a temporary rainbow sticker in Little Malop St, in February 2020, to help celebrate the Geelong Rainbow Festival.<\/p>\n
However, the positive momentum this generated unfortunately ground to a halt when the COVID pandemic radically shifted priorities just a month later.<\/p>\n
Plans for the permanent crossing were progressed last year, when officers asked for the public’s input on the best location.<\/p>\n
With a number of options considered, the pedestrian crossing on Yarra Street, under the Westfield flyover, was chosen.<\/p>\n
The site attracts a lot of pedestrians and is prominently placed, with great views down the street.<\/p>\n
The permanent installation was unveiled last week, and looks fantastic with a number of inclusive elements.<\/p>\n
The design is based on Valentino Vecchietti’s progress pride flag, which was created in 2021.<\/p>\n
Alongside the traditional rainbow colors, there are references to the transgender flag, intersex flag and brown and black lines to represent all people of colour, including First Nations people.<\/p>\n
The initiative is a sign of solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community.<\/p>\n
It is also a clear demonstration, to the wider Geelong community, that everyone is welcome here.<\/p>\n
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and safe city, where people are free to truly be themselves.<\/p>\n
As chair of Council’s LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee, I want to thank everyone involved in delivering the project \u2013 from the seed of the idea, through to the truly stunning result.<\/p>\n
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There is a great community-driven alliance that is changing the way that grassroots groups collaborate and advocate for significant change.<\/p>\n
The Real Deal for Geelong has brought together more than a dozen organisations, including unions, faith groups, sustainability advocates and community centres.<\/p>\n
At the time of writing, the alliance’s community solutions forum was due to be held on Thursday night (December 7).<\/p>\n
After identifying the community’s key issues, this week’s meeting at Cloverdale Community Centre was to highlight potential solutions to them, and to progress them with political leaders.<\/p>\n
The issues Real Deal for Geelong are hoping to advance are:<\/p>\n