Mayor's Message - Friday 4 November

This is my final message as my two-year term as Mayor of the City of Ballarat draws to a close. What a surreal time it has been with many highs and lows since my election in October 2020.   

It has been both an honour and a great privilege to serve the City of Ballarat as its Mayor over the past two years.   

In my election speech of October 2020, I mentioned that I would lay down foundations that will set the city up for continued growth over the next twenty years.    

Despite a pandemic trying to disrupt our progress we have found true value in investing in community consultation and collaboration and being more transparent in running what is an incredible organisation. Being a mayor of an organisation that manages over two billion dollars’ worth of assets and delivers nearly a hundred community services does not come without challenges, but I feel with the Ballarat community’s help we have ridden some difficult times exceedingly well.     

We have laid the foundation for future years through sound strategy presented in such documents as City of Ballarat Council Plan 2021-25, the City of Ballarat Community Vision 2021-2031, the Health and Wellbeing Plan 2021-2031, the Ballarat. Now and Into the Future 2022 and at last week’s Council Meeting the Inclusion Framework that has 5 key inclusive plans.   

We have a redesigned mall coming, a feast of Commonwealth Games activity in 2026 that will put our city on the world stage, a potential World Heritage listing for our Victorian Goldfields and a new freight hub that will open a wealth of local opportunity. Ballarat truly has plenty to look forward to in the very near future.

City of Ballarat Mayor (October 2020 – October 2022) 

Daniel Moloney