Mayors Message Thursday 19 August 2021

Melbourne’s challenge to bring the current lockdown to an end serves as a sobering reminder of just how tenuous our business and social environments have become. Whilst we do not know when a sense of normality may return to our lives, what we do know right now is that there are two very important areas of focus, business support and vaccination.

Businesses small and large are the lifeblood of our city, without them we would not have jobs, services, essential goods, hospitality and entertainment, most importantly we would not have an economy that provides opportunity and attracts growth.

One of the keys to our ongoing recovery will be the continued strength of our business community. More than 80 per-cent of our working residents are employed locally by our Ballarat businesses, so doing everything we can to support business is ultimately in everyone’s best interest.

I often speak with local businesses and community organisations and it is hard to hear how exceptionally tough it is for them as repeated lockdowns take their toll. As a Council we must ensure we pull every lever possible to provide support, where and when we can. To this end I have requested that the City of Ballarat CEO present some options to Councillors in how we may further assist our local businesses and community organisations. I look forward to hearing about and exploring these at the Council meeting at the end of this month.

The second key towards our city’s recovery is vaccination. The more protected we are, the more we can start to live our lives on our terms, not COVIDs. 

I would encourage everyone to do their bit and get vaccinated so that we can all be in a stronger, more resilient position to look forward to spring and summer.

Mayor 

Cr Daniel Moloney