Opinion pieces

AT A time when so many school leavers are considering their next steps, I ­find myself reflecting on my transition from a Melbourne schoolboy to a student at the then-Ballarat College of Advanced Education (BCAE) - now Federation University Australia. Read more

Committee for Ballarat welcomes the announcement of a Regional Housing Inquiry and the State Government’s desire to get “Regional MPs into the community to talk about housing” (Minister Thomas).  We go further and encourage all MPs across the state, in Metropolitan and Regional electorates to do the same.  This is a state-wide issue and we urge all MPs, in a bi-partisan approach, to collaborate on this critical issue that impacts all communities and every sector in our state.  Read more

Community energy advocates argue the lack of social licence, and the regional objection to utility scale renewable energy infrastructure, could be our greatest challenge in the transition away from fossil fuels. Read more

This week over 80 leaders from our regional community, mostly men, gathered to hear from Women’s Health Grampians about an initiative designed for men to build our capacity to identify and call out gender inequality, sexism and discrimination. The incidence of violence against women in Australia is a national tragedy. The horrific and tragic deaths of Samantha Murphy, Rebecca Young and Hannah McGuire in recent months has placed the impact of gendered violence very much at our own doorstep and it is distressing. Read more

The announcement this week by federal Infrastructure Minister and local member Catherine King to give a Melbourne Airport Rail a lifeline, is good news for Ballarat, regional Victoria and the state. Read more

Underinsurance occurs when the sum insured on your insurance policy — that is, the amount listed as the maximum the insurer will pay out if you make a claim — isn’t enough to cover the full cost of rebuilding, repairing, or replacing your building asset or home and its contents. Read more

We know that Ballarat’s population growth to the north of MARS stadium as part of the Northern Growth Zone will be significant with 20,000+ residents living there within the next 5-10 years. The Commonwealth Games provides a unique opportunity for us to build transport infrastructure that will service a rapidly growing region AND will service an Events Precinct that will host millions of visitors for sports, cultural, arts and entertainment events for decades to come. Read more

As crucial as the Games are, we cannot afford to miss the mark on legacy. As a region, we must prioritise the absolute key legacy projects, then consistently and vociferously advocate to Government and the Commonwealth Games authorities to ensure they do not get lost in tight budgets and short timelines. Read more

2022 was always going to be a unique year. You have to go back to 2010 when there was both a Federal and Victorian State election in the same year. Whilst it’s a fact that may be of interest to election enthusiasts, it is so much more than just two Saturdays at the polling booths. Elections are our opportunity to help shape the lives we lead and the communities we live in. Read more

The Commonwealth Games Athletes Village can be the impetus igniting the Bakery Hill Vision and breathing new life into our CBD. Imagine; our inner city that features open space and parklands where we can meet, play and walk bare-foot among the trees. Curious laneways to explore, creative ventures, fully occupied retail shops and vibrant hospitality venues open into the evening. Undercover access to the supermarkets and rather than dominating the streetscapes, they nestle subtly into a broader build environment. Read more

We need to seize the opportunity growth provides and plan now to ensure growth does not come at the expense of our liveability. We can continue to be recognised as one of Australia’s most desirable regional communities and have a growing population. Read more

It is astonishing to know that we have now reached 90% double dose for the Victorian population 12 years and over. We have built a ‘force field’ that will help protect us, protect our health care system, and ease the potential for any further widespread lockdowns. Read more

Connectivity is a critical enabler for business, industry, and the community. The airport, in the short, medium and long term, gives us a very unique opportunity to connect road, rail and air, geographically and logistically, in ways that other regionals cities in Victoria cannot. Read more

As we endure our fourth lock-down, it is easy to be consumed by negativity and a temptation to look for someone to blame. To be clear, being where we are, again, is not what any of us wanted and will have devastating impacts for so many in our community. We have seen this movie before and we didn’t like it. Read more

Committee for Ballarat has been vocal in backing the MARL with the preferred option of a designated tunnel for airport and regional trains from the cities of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton.  This is not what the government has announced, so what’s next? Read more

Published 1 June 2020, The Courier, Ballarat We are living in unprecedented times. We are enduring hardships that we haven’t seen since our grandparents endured World War 2. The pandemic descended on us with little time to prepare. Unemployment is at a record high, our federal government is set to return the highest deficit in […] Read more

Published 17 May 2020, The Courier, Ballarat Many of us will have pondered over recent weeks what our world, our country, our region and our way of life will look like after COVID-19. I live on the edge of a park and have been buoyed by the number of people now walking, cycling and enjoying […] Read more