Mayors Message Thursday 5 August 2021

 

As each of these lock-downs lifts, we see an incredible resilience within the Ballarat community as people pick up their lives and go again. We also see and hear of great support for others through kindness and new initiatives. 

The 2022 Ballarat Community Awards are now open for nominations and recognise the outstanding achievement of community members who have gone above and beyond over the last year to help improve the lives of others in our region. 

Last year we saw Dr. Sundram Sivamalai receive Ballarat Citizen of the Year through his outstanding work in establishing the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council. We also saw Gabriel Gervasoni’s passion for addressing issues affecting youth and those with disabilities rewarded with Ballarat Young Citizen of the Year. The Ballarat Community Activity of the Year was awarded for the exceptional Ballarat Reverse Advent Calendar (Heather Luttrell) that helped so many in need leading up to Christmas. All outstanding initiatives that provided so much for our community. 

I would encourage anyone who is aware of outstanding work by individuals or a community group in helping to support our community, to nominate them for the 2022 Ballarat Community Awards. 

The highly successful Winter Festival is over for another year, but as they say, as one door closes another opens, and in fact this month it will be 1000 doors as Ballarat welcomes the rescheduling of the art installation ‘1000 Doors – Door Within A Door’. 

The event will commence on 25 August, continuing through to 3 October. This creative event was a sell out at the Melbourne International Arts Festival, the Brisbane Festival and the Adelaide Fringe Festival. We are in for a treat where our imagination and sense of discovery will be both challenged and entertained. 

Mayor 

Cr Daniel Moloney