Mayors Message Thursday 8 July 2021

Mayor’s Message Thursday 8 July 2021 

Last Sunday saw the beginning of NAIDOC Week with the week’s events continuing through until this Sunday 11 July.

NAIDOC Week and celebrating the Indigenous communities of our region is incredibly important to the City of Ballarat and we are proud to be a major supporter.

Council acknowledges the significance of NAIDOC Week as a time for not only the Ballarat community but the whole of Australia to celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  

NAIDOC Week’s 2021 theme is “Heal country, heal the nation” with a call for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage. Now more than ever as the world changes, natural disasters increase, and we experience the need for communities to come together, should we respect our First Nations people, what they bring to our community and what we can learn from their deep-seeded connection to country.

We know that actions speak more than words so to be able to listen and include the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our actions and plans, the permanent flags at the lake and the art installation on the roundabout at Armstrong and Dana Streets, is so important. 

We have a lot to be proud of in the Indigenous Community in Ballarat and surrounds and I look forward to this continued relationship in what we are doing now and on our future shared journey.

Over the last week we found ourselves on the unusual side of lockdown whilst other states were less fortunate. We need to continue to be mindful of social distancing, wearing masks, checking in, getting checked if feeling unwell and getting vaccinated in order to keep our community safe.

For all the latest information on COVID please visit https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/

Mayor 

Cr Daniel Moloney