Mayor’s Message - Friday 14 March 2025

14 March 2025 8:00am

Image of Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves in front of a blurred image of an expo

From the outset, engagement has been one of the top priorities of the new council group, with councillors keen for more face-to-face interaction with our community.

So it is with much anticipation that the City of Ballarat hosts the Let’s Chat Ballarat Community Expo next week.

This is a first of its kind expo and the ideal opportunity for residents to provide in-person feedback on what the City of Ballarat does to meet the needs of our community.

Held at Civic Hall over two days, the event will include interactive displays and information on services, projects, programs and initiatives across the municipality.

Councillors will be in attendance ready to have a coffee, a chat and listen to your ideas and concerns.

There will also be food, kid’s entertainment, giveaways and door prizes on offer – we are sure to have something for everybody.

While there will be plenty to see and do for people of all ages, this expo aims to provide a valuable opportunity for residents and ratepayers to interact with Council officers and councillors like never before, spearheading our commitment to working with and for our community.

Our plan is for the expo to become an annual fixture on the City of Ballarat calendar, ensuring the community is providing input to planning the future of our city from here onwards.

And as an extension of the expo, engagement opportunities specific to each ward are currently being planned for the year, with further announcements to come on where and when these will be held.

These opportunities, in addition to our existing feedback channels such as surveys, MySay and Snap Send Solve, mean that every community member can be an active participant in helping us to deliver a better Ballarat.

Let’s Chat, Ballarat is on from 4pm-8pm on Thursday 20 March and 9am-1pm on Friday 21 March and I encourage as many people as possible to attend. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard.

For more information, visit ballarat.vic.gov.au/city/events/lets-chat-ballarat

- Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves