Unique times for our city.

We are on the eve of one of Ballarat’s most important local elections and indeed important and considered decisions for voters.

‘That old chestnut’ some of you may think.  You will have heard that line before just as the ballot boxes are brought out of their resting place and dusted off.

But this time it really does hold it’s own.

A tumultuous year has played out at Town Hall, or as the German people would call it, Rat Haus.

We have lost our former CEO, replaced with an intermediary, and awaiting the rise of a new great leadership hope with every finger crossed.

The decision to remove Justine Linley remains a controversial one by many who actually read the report that led to her demise.

Nevertheless, Ms Linley’s departure set off a cascade of change ultimately resulting in all of the city’s five Directors also leaving the building.

That executive whirlwind has kicked much dust into the Covid-quiet streets, settling down in a layer of eerie doubt about what it all means for the future of the city.

Business leaders are asking what this massive executive change will mean for decision making in our city. Will decisions still be able to be made with fluency and efficiency?Will it take years to get back up to speed?

I have had many business owners raise these doubts to me asking how can Council help us, what levers can be pulled to assist us during this recovery phase?

But that exposure of the city’s current decision-making fragility is potentially about to get worse.

The local council elections could result in a clean sweep of the current councillors - it could happen - and I am one of them. I understand that very well.

While that is the absolute prerogative of the voters, it does potentially leave Ballarat in an unprecedented position: the loss of a CEO, every Director and possibly every councillor within five months of each other.

It is almost hard to believe that a city – one of Australia’s most important and respected in regional Australia – could be in this position. Worse still, that that possibility arises during a health crisis which is crippling our economy and life as we have known it.

The time is now ... that this city needs great leaders, determination to succeed and a work ethic like no other.

Ratepayers and business operators demand our best, our most focused.

We are poised for an incredible era of growth if all the modelling and economic predictions around population movement are correct.  We are among the top ten regional cities in Australia listed for leading growth and development.

For twelve years, three of which I served as mayor in this term, I have worked to bring the people’s voice to the council table.  I have listened and pursued on their behalf. Together, we have achieved many things that will hold generational value to this city.

It is not just the bricks and mortar of the Civic Hall, or heritage structures that make this place globally recognisable. It is about protecting and investing in cultural assets such as Her Majesty’s Theatre, or the investment in our parks and gardens or sporting venues. It is about enabling our brilliant schools and hospitals to continue their growth in quality and capacity.  I was also the Chair of Regional Capitals Australia and in that role, our city was being watched very closely by the nation. I was able to project us to Canberra and plant seeds that are now starting to grow. The Airport funding is part of that story.

Understanding the role that regional Australia must play right now is not new to me -I have been talking and writing about this for some time now.

It continues to be a challenge and everyday education to understand the multiple facets of what it takes to make a city work – the many cogs that spin and whirr to make this town go round.

I also understand the little things.

This year, I have had the joy of becoming a grandmother.  It is a blessing for the soul and a reminder of the importance of looking beyond ourselves.

The next four weeks will be critical to Ballarat’s future.  I want to play a part in that.

I am hopeful that the people of Ballarat will appreciate the need for new, and the need for experience and understanding in a time of rapid change.