No one crying – December 2019 in review

Spilt Milk rocks the city – Thursday, 5 December edition

SINCE it was first revealed in April that international R&B superstar Khalid was coming to Ballarat, excitement for Spilt Milk had been building.

Despite forecasts of a typical gloomy winter’s day, the weather gods smiled upon the city, as did their music counterparts, and the festival was a huge success.

Jordan McPhan was one of the 20,000 people who enjoyed the day and was positive about what it meant for attendees and the city.

“It’s been amazing,” she said. “It’s incredible for Ballarat. It’s kind of hard to describe the feeling of the day when you have someone like Illy, yelling out to a crowd of maybe 15,000 people and saying, ‘Ballarat, are you excited?’ and you’ve got people chanting back to him and screaming.

“It’s huge to have these kinds of acts in Ballarat and I hope they stick around for a day or two. We have this opportunity to showcase what an amazing city we have to these people and they have a reach so far outside of Ballarat.”

Thursday, 12 December edition

Wailing and gnashing of teeth, Regional Roads Victoria released an update to their vision of what a shared bike path/ pedestrian walkway would look like in, around or near the Sturt Street Gardens.

They went for beside the Gardens, and somewhat expectedly the response from the plans backers was positive, while those who opposed any change gave it the thumbs down.

RRV regional director Western, Michael Bailey, said the new plans were a result of working with community members and experts, and they took into consideration heritage concerns.

“We understand that the Sturt Street Gardens occupy a special place in the history of Ballarat, which is why it’s so important that we listen to the community and get this project right,” he said.

When it turned out that 55 responses were received as part of the formal consultation process and of those, 60 per cent were against the original plan to have the bike path running down the centre of the Sturt Street Gardens, and 29 per cent favoured the new plan, City of Ballarat Cr Amy Johnson commented.

“It’s extremely clear that a majority of Ballarat residents don’t support a path down our Sturt Street Gardens, whether it’s though the middle or on the side,” she said.

“The Ballarat community have been extremely clear about our opposition to this project and the destruction of our magnificent heritage boulevard.”

Work is expected to start in April 2020.

Thursday, 19 December edition

It was a more than two-year battle but residents in Golden Point got their barbecue back.

The outdoor open to the public cook top was removed in somewhat controversial circumstances from the Jack Greville Parklands on Magpie Street and community members fought to get it back.

Chief campaigner Peter Wills credited fellow local Frank Williams with spurring the City of Ballarat into action.

“Frank raised it at a council meeting six months ago and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Mr Wills said. “Council workers met here with us and said they would put the barbecue back and resolve the situation.”

For his part Mr Williams said that the new barbecue and other improvements to the area including a picknick table, shelter and upgrades to the pathways would go someway to securing the public space for the future.

“It’s a significant first step insofar as retaining this small recreation area for the residents and ratepayers,” he said. “It gives the community a meeting place to come together. This community felt that it hadn’t been listened to.”

That great sing thing – Thursday, 26 December edition

Six months after a group of community volunteers set out to save the city’s Carols by Candlelight, they delivered and brought over 8000 people with them.

In the process the event also raised more than $10,000 for the 3BA Christmas Appeal.

Head of the organising committee Matt Hustwaite said the event was special.

“It just shows how important the event is to the community,” he said. “It just demonstrates it’s a great thing to put on and that is brings so many from the community together at this time.”

Some of Ballarat’s most well-known and loved entertainers were joined by TV personality Glenn Ridge for the evening of festive cheer.

“It was great to be invited back to Ballarat and be a part the Carols and also because the history of what’s happened over the last couple of years, like the fact that Carols wasn’t going to happen,” Ridge said.

“Because of the group who’ve got together and got it up, it now means we’ve had a great night.

“The crowds have been good, everyone’s taken part and it’s fabulous to be a part of.”