Residents have been urged to embrace new pop-up eating zones, installed across the municipality to help local eateries recover from the pandemic. 

Twelve of the ‘skiplets’ will be located in parking spaces in Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale - including busy Hesse Street and Point Lonsdale Road retail precincts - for the next three months. 

The modified skip bins, produced in Jan Juc, are fitted out with recycled timber flooring and benches and provide additional seating for 10 patrons.  

“Some businesses have done well during COVID and some haven’t, and we don’t know what the next three months will bring when the Jobkeeper program ends and people leave after the summer holidays” said Mayor Ross Ebbels.

“We want to make sure businesses are sustainable and can get through the next few months, and these skiplets can help with that. A lot of them are playing catch up now and we need them to be really busy this summer period. 

“There’ll be some people who say they want their car parks back and there will be some who really like the skiplets,... I just ask everyone to show some patience.

"We might find that after three months, a bit like Geelong where they were trailed for five months five years ago, that not only traders but customers also want them to stay,” he said.   

The Borough of Queenscliffe has fast-tracked the initiative after receiving $250,000 to progress outdoor dining, under a State Government initiative aimed at assisting businesses hard hit by COVID-19.

The first of the skiplets was installed outside the Queenscliff General Store. 

“It has some sort of novelty value I think and is going to be a really fun little space and something bit different for people,” said business owner Garreth Jones.   

The cafe managed to trade through the pandemic, despite being forced to remove tables and chairs.
“It was a bit scary there for a little while, it was unchartered waters. 
​
“I have to say you’re only as good as your customers and ours were really supportive,” Mr Jones said.  
​

Queenscliff's Senior football coach almost upstaged a team of  "legendary"  local cricketers by taking a hat trick in a friendly match between the Queenscliff Football Netball  (QFNC) and Queenscliff Cricket clubs (QCC). 

But the three wickets came at a cost, with Steve Clark appearing to sustain a leg strain, requiring him to use a runner during his batting innings.

Clark was playing in a 'Legends' game - a curtain raiser to the annual Couta Bowl Clash between the two clubs, held on Saturday December 2.

And while no player will be expecting a call-up to the Australian first X1 after the two matches, they did deliver some spectacular catches and big hitting in front of a crowd of upwards of 100 club members and holiday makers.  

The QCC won both matches. However, dubious umpiring decisions and generous scoring made it hard to know by how much. 

Unsightly power poles have been removed from the South end of Queenscliff’s Hesse Street, as part of a $1.5 million project to beautify the sector. 

The project, jointly funded under the Victorian Government’s Fixing Country Roads and the Commonwealth’s Roads to Recovery programs, is nearing completion. 

It includes underfunding of power lines to improve beach views, the creation of 16 extra parking spaces, improved street lighting, drainage, re-surphacing and tree planting.   
​
“Hesse Street South now looks modern and bright at both day and night, and with our new outdoor dining Skiplets being added further up the road for expanded hospitality options, there’s no better place to spend your summer than in the Borough of Queenscliffe, said Mayor Ross Ebbels.

Public consultation has opened on what is being described as one of the Borough of Queenscliffe’s most important documents. 

The new Coastal and Marine Management Plan (CMMP) will guide decision-making on almost all matters related to foreshore and coastal planning.

The existing document has not been updated since 2006.

Mayor Ross Ebbels said the new plan would go the heart of everything residents valued about living in Queenscliffe and would ensure coastline assets were safeguarded for future generations. 

“For so much of what we’ll do in the the future, we need to have this plan in place.  

“I know how much of a privilege it is to have such world-class coastlines on our door step – from the simple pleasures of walking your dog on the beach, to surfing at Back Beach,” Cr Ebbels said.

“I also know how much our community values these landscapes, which is why I’m calling on anyone who utilises our coasts to provide input into our Coastal and Marine Management Plan.”

The Council manages and maintains numerous bayside and ocean reserves and assets including the Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale Lighthouse reserves. It is thought to be the highest proportion of land in foreshore reserves in any municipality in Victoria. 

The new  CMMP, to developed in line with requirements of the Marine and Coastal Act 2018, will provide a blueprint on how these areas will be managed into the future. 

Consultation opens with the Borough hosting an interactive webinar at 6:00pm on Thursday 14 January, where residents and ratepayers can ask questions of the planning team.

An online survey is available to be completed by navigating to queenscliffe.vic.gov.au/coasts, where
visitors can also learn more information and read a detailed issues paper.
​
Consultation on the plan closes at 11:59pm on Sunday 31 January.
​

For those who subscribe to JOMO - the Joy of Missing Out - 2020 was not such a bad year after all! 

One of that group’s notable practitioners is acclaimed cartoonist, writer and artist Michael Leunig. 

While acknowledging the hardship some have experienced, the National Living Treasure says he was able to divorce himself from all of the clamour that came with the COVID-19 pandemic and do what he normally does - find the whimsical and lightness in events around us. 

“It’s obviously been a very peculiar year but I think the peculiarity has been massively over-inflated and exaggerated and everyone was expected to feel terrible,” he said. “Just to take it in your stride is the best way I found to deal with it. All years are pretty peculiar in their own way, but of course I recognise that some people have been alarmed and distressed in ways that I haven’t I guess.

“There has been a good side to it all. I liked the slowing down and the quiet roads… but anyway, who knows what next year’s going to bring and the year after and the year after that.” 

2021 will bring Leunig to Queenscliff. 

Queenscliff Gallery will this month host Humour of the Heart, a selection of paintings that have no particular theme, according to Leunig, but rather reflect his approach to creating a picture - a process he’s described as ‘messy, mystical and primal.’

Fittingly for the year just gone, one of the paintings, a joyous coloured canvas, is titled ‘Once in a Lifetime.’ (Pictured).

“For me it’s a playful thing to do, to make a painting, and it’s almost prayerful if you like. I don’t mean to sound earnest, but it’s an interior state and it’s engagement with colour and form.”

“It’s such a lovely antidote to the woes of the world. It’s a bit like those who make a garden, you know it’s always there for you. To have your canvas and your solitude and your peace and materials, you can do this until you die,” he says.  

“I never went to art school or anything, I’m just one of those self taught painters and that’s all it it, there’s no grand theme or narrative to my pictures,” he says.

“It’s think it’s important to be able to not have and to be content with more simple things. We are a society consumed with consumption and doing things and getting things. It’s good to make a bit of a stand against those things.”

It’s not Leunig’s first local show. He has a fondness for Queenscliff born out of his long friendship with former resident and fellow cartoonist Ron Tanberg, who died in January 2018.

“I came down to see Ron a few times. Me and Ron worked together for a long time and when I say together, I mean the next desk. We shared a lot of deadline panic together and we were pretty close,” he said.

“What’s good about Queenscliff is it’s not exactly out of the way but it is out of the way. It seems to be it’s own little neck of the woods,” he said.  
​
Leunig’s exhibition will run until January 25.

COVID-19 encouraged many people to look inwards and find new perspectives of home and surroundings. Queenscliff-based artist David Beaumont used the time to forge new relationships with the natural landscapes that he is continuously drawn to.

In his latest exhibition ‘Here And There’, Beaumont reinvents those landscapes that frequently inspire his work. Through a new found perspective, he re-captures the beauty and power of his local Swan Bay and the Rip, and one of his favourite destinations, Lake Mungo. 

His signature style of boundary pushing abstraction invites viewers to embrace their imagination, while his chosen palette encourages recognition of the silence, subtlety and nuance of the environments.

“It really wasn’t until covid came along that I started to stalk the Rip more intently - early mornings and late at night… particularly during autumn, winter and early spring,” Beaumont said. 

“During those darker months something opened up and the paintings that will be in this show, they’ve got a streak, a moodiness to them… this hardship beauty that the Rip has.”   

‘Here and There’ also features new sculptures that beautifully compliment his latest collection of paintings. 
​
‘Here And There’ will officially open at Salt Contemporary on Sunday 27th December from 2pm and the exhibition will continue through to the 7th January.

Three first-time councillors will join two returning to form the Borough of Queenscliffe’s new five-member Council. 

Incumbent Mayor Ross Ebbels was the leading vote-getter, polling 752 of first preferences. Queenscliff businessman Donnie Grigau was second elected, with 449 votes, followed by Michael Grout (434), Fleur Hewitt (363) and incumbent Councillor Susan Salter (331). 

3,609 of the 4,143 enrolled voters participated in the postal election - 151 were informal. 

“I’d like to give a warm welcome to the new Councillors, as well as those who are returning,” said BoQ CEO Martin Gill. “I’m looking forward to working closely with the new Council as we navigate the impacts of the pandemic, implement the new Local Government Act, and continue to progress a number of important projects.” 

Eleven candidates contested the election.  The Victorian Electoral Commission announced the final results on Wednesday November 4, 2020. 

A full breakdown of results can be found at: https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/results/2020-council-election-results/queenscliffe-borough-council

Poppies could be placed at the local graves of deceased service men and women on Remembrance Day, as part of tribute proposed by the Queenscliffe RSL. 

Spokesperson Graham Christie said the November 11 initiative would recognise the Queenscliff Cemetery as a key military site, and afford respect to the fallen within its grounds. 

Mr Christie is urging relatives to identify and nominate the graves of those who served, dating back more than a century, to ensure they are recognised with a poppy tribute.  

“The thought being, that should the national day be restricted under the COVID19 guidelines - in line with the ANZAC day and Vietnam Veterans Day services in 2020 - our RSL Sub-Branch could ceremoniously place a poppy at each of the historical military grave sites in this cemetery, as a tangible remembrance to all local heroes of the past,” Mr Christie said.

“These cared-for sites include many of our famous, including Violet Duddy, Sir Thomas and Dame Vera Deakin White… together with many Boer War fort soldiers [and] many other such heroes as Captain Colin Springall.”

As part of the initiative, poppies would be placed by relatives at graves in the week leading up to remembrance Day, allowing them to plan ahead. 

The tribute would remain in place permanently, and the graves would eventually be mapped by the Geelong Cemetery Trust.

“Our prestigious Avenue of Honour no longer displays the actual details of the soldier or nurse who were lost in war, died of wounds in the hospitals… and/or those who died on their return to their homeland,” Mr Christie said. “The grandeur of these Monterey Cypress trees remains but the identity of each of the fallen has been extinguished over time.

“It should be noted that many WW1 Queenscliff Lads who perished in the Great War are in the beautiful cemeteries of France and Belgium, but those who returned are most probably in this lovely garden area – but not known.

“A Poppy at each site would be rated a most popular activity by the entire Community.”

Raised in Queenscliff, Ms Duddy served on the frontline at Gallipoli. Her father was also Secretary of our First RSL Sub-Branch Committee in 1919.

Sir Thomas was a First World War pilot, prisoner or war and later Federal politician. Dame Vera, the daughter of Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, was appointed an Officer of the British Empire for her work with the Red Cross during the First World War, while Captain Springall manned pilot boats through Port Phillip Heads.
​
“I am asking that our community consider such a memorial process, that I believe would become quite remarkable… irrespective if we are even permitted to hold a normal commemorative service,” said Mr Christie. 

Relatives wanting to participate in the project can contact Mr Christie at:  
ryandale31@bigpond.com or by phoning 0418 521579.

An art exhibition with a difference will be held later this month - restrictions permitting - capturing the creativity of locals in lockdown. 

The ‘Magic Show,’ an initiative of Point Lonsdale’s Lighthouse Arts Collective, is aimed at promoting community connection.

Upwards of 100 entrants have paid $20 to take part in the show. They have each received an A3 piece of paper to create their very own artwork, using any medium. 

“At the heart of the project is a desire to promote community connection and provide a hopeful and creative focus during lockdown and this topsy turvy time,” said the Collective’s Suzie Wylie.

“It was important to us that the invitation to participate was simple and engaging - by providing the essential material (the paper) and by ensuring participants had complete creative freedom, we hoped the nature of the project would capture the imaginations of our community, from those that consider themselves creative to those that don’t.”

Ms Wylie said the project was the brainchild of a collective community member. 

“It developed quickly and joyously and was announced to the community the following week. Good ideas are sometimes like that - Magic!”

“We have been overwhelmed by the response. The enthusiasm around the project has been so energising, and so heartwarming especially at a time when so much of what the collective had in place for 2020 has had to be postponed or cancelled,” Ms Wylie said. 

Participants have been given four weeks to create their works at home. They will be submitted by September 21 - which coincides the end to current stage three restrictions - and will subsequently be displayed in the Collective’s New Hall when it it safe to do so. 

“If this is not doable in the foreseeable future we will come up with a creative online way for the project and it's participants to be celebrated,” said Ms Wylie. 
​
The Collective is among many groups within the arts community to have been hard hit by the pandemic. Proceeds from the entry fee and the sale of works will help with the staging of future events.

Point Lonsdale surfers Lucy Naylor and Jay Phipps have been crowned state champions in their respective age groups, after the Victorian Junior Surfing titles were declared last month. 

The talented teens were leading their tables in the U/18 girls and U/14 boys sections after two  of three finals heats. 

The third and final round was to have been held at Bells Beach this month, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Naylor took out heat one and posted a third in the second heat for an end of season tally of 1730 points. 
Point Lonsdale's Minnie Vorath finished in third place in the age group.

Phipps ended the season with a commanding 2000 points, having won both heat finals. 

"It feels so great to finish up on top especially for my last year in the juniors," said Naylor. "Hopefully comps will resume soon. We find out on the 14th of September whether the Australian Titles will go ahead." 
​
The Woolworths Victorian Junior Surfing Titles is the exclusive qualification pathway for the State's elite junior competitors for selection into the Victorian Junior Surfing Team, set to compete at the Australian Junior Surfing Titles later in the year.

DONNIE GRIGAU
I have lived in Queenscliff for many years and, together with my husband Andrew, run the popular Shelter Shed restaurant in Hese Street.
Working closely with residents and visitors, and being involved with and supporting several clubs, charities and associations has allowed me to gain an insight into what we value most about our special part of the Bellarine Peninsula. 
My priorities will be firstly, to ensure the Council preserves these key social, economic and environmental values, and secondly, to empower the community to have a greater say in policy in policy development and the management of sporting, campaign and foreshore areas. 
My agenda is inclusive, ambitious, optimistic yet achievable, and some of the outcomes I’d like to accomplish are: 
Ensuring the Council remains viable through sound budget management while operating within the rate cap. Like any business, the Borough must provide good quality, value-for-money services which meet the needs of ratepayers ad residents. 
Ensuring new projects are only supported which reflect community values, and are based on a sound business case or demonstrable social need, such as the Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club beach base. 
Incorporating environmentally-friendly practices into Council service delivery and greater advocacy of strategies to improve sustainability locally. 
Completing strategies and policies which maintain and protect the Borough’s distinctive character, such as the Coastal Management Plan, Heritage Review, Significant Tree Register and the appropriate amendment to the planning scheme to reflect these values. 
Preserving and promoting the Borough’s extraordinary military, maritime and architectural built heritage as a year-round tourism drawcard which supports local businesses. We need an agreement with the Commonwealth on Fort Queenscliff’s future which respects heritage while revitalising the site. We need more walking and improved cycling trails for health and encouraging visitors to move between Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale. 

*Edited

ROSS EBBELS
​I first moved to The Borough nearly 40 years ago when I started my hospitality career. I am married with two girls who attended Queenscliff Kindergarten and Queenscliff Primary and we have always been keen participants in community life, including being Board Member, Inaugural Chairman and Life Member of The Queenscliff Music Festival. 
Living and working most of my life in The Borough of Queenscliffe I want to continue to contribute to our community.
Why am I standing again?
I am standing again as I still have a lot to contribute to this great Borough. In this last term of council, I was elected the Mayor of The Borough of Queenscliffe. Although as it turned out not to be the year any of us thought, I have been able to connect closer with our community and would love the opportunity to again represent The Borough of Queenscliffe as an elected Councillor.
If re-elected as your Councillor I Will:
Continue to work hard, Engage, and Listen to our community and keep The Borough great and the envy of other municipalities
Continue to support our small business operators
Establish a significant tree register for the Borough
Continue council listening posts – post Covid-19
Remember that small things do matter to our residents
Ensure the Borough remains independent and financially viable
Continue monthly meetings with our community and business associations
Continue to be available to all our residents
Advocate for an upgrade to the existing skate park and create a new and exciting bike track for our youth
Ensure Council completes its current major projects before taking on any new one’s
Protect our pristine environment from the effects of Climate Change
Continue to provide stability and leadership during these difficult times.
I would like to thank all the residents in The Borough who have made contact with me over the past years as a councillor and as your Mayor. We live in such a beautiful and safe part of the world and with your help we can keep it that way.

FLEUR HEWITT
​Point Lonsdale-based Fleur Hewitt is an experienced lawyer. As a mother of two young girls, she is passionate about shaping a sustainable and bright future for residents of the Borough.
“I am excited to join the campaign trail and look forward to engaging further with our community on issues that really matter to the Borough,” she said.
“More action is needed than ever to respond to the twin crises of climate change and COVID-19. We are in the midst of a climate emergency; our beaches are eroding and we are vulnerable to rising sea levels. We’ve done a great job staying healthy in this pandemic, but we have not been immune to its economic impact.”
Key initiatives include:
• Installing electric vehicle charging stations in public spaces, which will not only encourage a local switch to electric vehicles, but also environmentally-friendly tourism;
• Reducing red tape for businesses, supporting increased outdoor dining and assisting with COVID safe plans;
• Improving and building new footpaths, bike tracks and safe crossings, refurbishing the skate park and establishing a hub for playgroups and a toy library
As a new voice for the community, particularly for young families, I will bring to the role extensive legal experience in all areas of real estate, having acted for both private and public sector clients.

ISABELLE TOLHURST

My husband Woody and I have decided to raise our family in the Borough of Queenscliffe, because my connection to this place runs deep -- I am a direct descendant of Henry Charles Dod, who established the first post office and bank in Queenscliff, and I attended Queenscliff kindergarten as a child. My family and I have been community members for more than 30 years. 
We live here because we love this place. We want our children to enjoy what we have - the waves crashing along the Point Lonsdale esplanade; the warbling magpies (who have a knack for remembering human faces, so be sure to keep them on side); a glittering Queenscliff harbour.
In loving this place, we also embrace its stories. I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years, including overseas in Jakarta and Copenhagen, and know the immense power of stories. They are great equalisers, for everyone has a story, and it is through stories that we learn about far away places, long buried secrets, and we come to understand each other and what makes us collectively human.
But COVID threatens our humanity, and all that makes this community great. Yet now is no time for isolationism or silence. The pandemic has reinforced that local people, places and stories are everything. Through them, we remain resilient to this great challenge of our time.
In October, I will run as a candidate in the Borough of Queenscliffe local government elections to represent this historic community and be a strong advocate for community consultation. I will listen, and I will act on the stories of this community. 
Stories - even those we discover late or don’t want to hear - are our identity. They can preserve history, upend and correct it, and inform the future. Stories are what make this community great, and the stories we tell each other, our children and those that visit this beautiful Borough, will help us survive COVID and beyond.
Offer your story up, and open your ears to the stories of others. You will be amazed at what you find.
​

MICHAEL GROUT

COVID19 is dominating our lives, and climate change looms large. The current challenge is to stay healthy and solvent as we navigate these issues so we continue to enjoy Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff.  We can meet these challenges if we work together, and I believe I can facilitate that. So I am a new candidate at the next local election, and I am standing for our community and the environment:

• Maintaining a financially viable independent Borough. We have a small rate base supplemented with government grants and caravan park revenue, but we have relatively few roads and infrastructure to maintain. We are viable when we keep rate increases low, improve our planning and resourcing, involve our community more effectively, manage assets and debt frugally and minimize spending on consultants.
• Uniting the community and Council to act on climate change. We should embrace renewable energy, be more energy efficient, mitigate erosion and storm damage, plant more, manage bush fire risk, better process waste and water, and switch to electric vehicles.
• Supporting businesses create a diverse and prosperous local economy. We should shop locally, and creatively promote our natural/heritage/hospitality assets, and our cultural events. We can improve collaboration with our region and the telecommunications that enable more of us to develop business.
• Better protecting our wonderful environment. We can do better maintaining our diverse coastal landscapes, parks and streetscapes through better education, management and resourcing. 
• Caring for our community wellbeing. Provide support programs for those who need it most, in particular older people, those with disabilities and the very young. Continue to deliver effective support to our community organizations including sporting groups, art groups, older citizens, the young and neighbourhood house.
• Protecting and promoting our diverse cultural and built heritage. Let’s celebrate the Aboriginal heritage of our area. We also have a valuable legacy of architecture to look after, including two lighthouse areas. I support new development that complements the characters of Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff.

I am keen to be part of a more open and engaging Council. When our community collaborates with our Council in common purpose we reboot trust, and we create a better Borough.

ZELDA WALTERS

I have been a permanent resident of Queenscliff for six years but have been coming down to stay in both Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff for around 30 years.
My background is in public relations, marketing and communication and I have a qualification in business administration.
Since living here I have become concerned at the Council’s lack of relevant community consultation.  I do not believe residents issues have been listened to or addressed well.
For example, over the last few years Council has undertaken numerous costly and repetitive surveys (eg improvements to Hesse Street) to gain insight into residents and visitors thoughts on the Borough.  These surveys don’t seem to have led to relevant changes or improvements –  there is a lack of follow through action by Council and they are a waste of ratepayer money.
As a result I believe many residents have become disillusioned with the Council and Councillors – the Borough has stagnated. Residents require action, not just talk.
There are some very serious challenges ahead of us, which Council needs to address.
It’s time for Council to look to the future, address these challenges (such as climate change, beach erosion, financial management, state of dune and foreshore management) and put in place measures to make the Borough a safe, viable and vibrant place.
It’s time for a change!

WHAT I STAND FOR:"
"I want to see:

• A Council that is efficiently and cost effectively run;
• A Council that listens and acts more with the community on issues;
• A Council and Councillors who communicate well and regularly with the community;
• Our rates used on things that are relevant to our community’s requirements;
• The ability for residents to discuss issues at Council Meetings.

ROB MINTY

I am standing again for Councillor to continue the recent important progress taking place. I am a Borough resident and have been a Councillor for the last nine months after winning the seat vacated by Cr Francis.
The appointment of the new CEO has seen real change in the way Council deals with community consultation in the Borough. I actively support the “get it done” agenda of 2020 and beyond.
I stand in support of a financially strong and independent Borough and a consultative Council focused on residents and supporting local business
We have progressed the Climate Emergency Response Plan and the Avenue of Honour action plan to replant this important memorial. The Hub, a substantial project which will improve resident and visitor experience in Hesse Street is progressing without cost or timing issues. 
I have advocated for years, as a member and president of the PLCA, for weed reduction on Ocean Road and improvements at The Point Lonsdale Lighthouse Reserve (PLLHR). Real action is finally underway. 
I believe our caravan parks need amenities upgraded. The income is important for Council and our  businesses need these visitors now more than ever.

AMANDA HOYSTED
I am proud to have been a member of the Queenscliff Point Lonsdale Community for my entire life; and over the years I have seen how this community has succeeded in dealing with challenges both big and small. 
However, Covid-19 and the current recession may be the greatest test that we will ever face.  I am asking for your vote so that I can join the Council and work to help the Borough at this important time.  
I am a true independent. I have no connections with any political party or special interest groups; and if elected, I will represent the ordinary ratepayers and residents of the Borough to the best of my ability. 
I have tertiary qualifications in Communications and Management and have successfully run my own retail business for over a decade. 
Running your own business teaches you the importance of managing your finances.  If elected, I pledge that I will work to ensure that the Borough manages your rates responsibly. Existing services to residents will be maintained and priority will be given to supporting local jobs and businesses.
There are many things that the Council does well, but these need to be expanded and promoted to benefit our community. I would establish a "Waste and Recycle Fortnight" to co-ordinate e-waste, chemical waste, and hard waste collections to assist residents in managing household waste more effectively.
The catastrophic fires at the start of 2020 highlighted the importance of having "Neighbourhood Safer Places" within the Borough. I believe that it is critical that a Fire Audit of the Borough be done this year.
This may be the most important vote that we cast in our local elections.  I am asking for your vote to ensure that an independent voice will be your representative on Council.

GEOFFREY MATHEWS
I moved from South Australia to Queenscliff in 2000 seeking a lifestyle change after having held senior positions in a family business and outside industry committee roles within Tafe South Australia and the SA Guild of Furniture Manufacturers.
My education comprises Bachelor of Arts (Flinders University), and Graduate Certificate Property (University of South Australia).
Since arriving I have renovated many houses and commercial properties within the Borough, enjoying the many components of restoration of Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale’s beautiful, diverse post 19th century architecture in a sympathetic and complementary manner that conserves and enhances their historical significance.
I am actively involved in the Queenscliff Lonsdale Yacht Club, on the management committee and an enthusiastic sailing member with a passion to show the benefits of outdoor water activities to young and old. 
Key directions: 
Nurture discourse and collaboration to create coherent nuts and bolts plans for infrastructure and the community.
Re-ignite the Borough as a must visit regional destination.
Strengthen our community's rich history, culture, social, environment and economic life.
Recognise the Wadawurrung people’s history and culture in our future.
Support residents and visitor infrastructure to create an environment for local businesses to flourish.
Support museums, the Hub, sport and park facilities, caravan parks, public toilets, town footpaths, walking and cycling tracks and the twin main streets, beaches, jetties, Shortland Bluff and Swan Bay.
Engage residents and council to connect the Borough in matters of marine and history, from Queenscliff Harbour to the Point Lonsdale lighthouse, to tell a powerful and vibrant local story.
Choose environmental best practice for our future generations.
Encourage back to basic principles in governance, asset, and financial management with the resources available.
*Edited

SUSAN SALTER
I came to live in the Borough of Queenscliffe in 1984. It has been a serendipitous blessing. Living where the land meets water.
I have been a Maths teacher at Bellarine Secondary College until my retirement in 2016. I was a member of the Save the Borough Committee in the early 1990. Our Independence continues into this century, and I continue to advocate to expand the boundary. Independence is assured by good governance and financial accountability.
I was honoured to be elected to council in 2012.
Over this time I have been a very active councillor, delighted to attend many local events and to catch up with many of you. I was privileged to be Mayor in 2018.
I introduced our Community Listening Post system, in which many of you have participated.
I have always valued the history our communities, ancient and recent, the heritage of the built environment, the surrounding environment. I have actively and strongly supported the heritage of our towns. Pleasingly, Stage 1 of our Heritage Review is finished. This is the first time since 1984 that this work has been updated and  I look forward to completing Stage 2 and thus protecting our lovely towns into the future.
I have actively supported the Hub community complex in Hesse Street, and look forward to its completion.
During this term, Council has completed a wide range of tasks, including the netball courts, the cricket nets and drainage works such as Hesse Street south, in Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff, to manage flooding.
 I have been the chair of Anzac Avenue Reference Group. You will have all enjoyed the benefits of the new trees this winter. But there is more to done. I look forward to further working on this with members of the community.
 Over the last period of Council, thousands of native trees and plants have been located in streets and parks. I will be supporting more environmental work, including the removal of weeds. I look forward to working with community members to develop priorities in this area.
 Following a community petition of more than 2000 people, I moved a motion declaring a Climate Emergency. The Council has already completed some work towards addressing this and will continue to do so into the future based on community consultation in which everyone will be invited to participate.
*Edited

The draft design of Queenscliff’s long-awaited $5.75 million Cultural Hub redevelopment has been released for public feedback. 

Created by award-winning architects Kerstin Thompson, the design incorporates the Queenscliff Library, Museum and Visitor Information Centre under one roof. 

The library’s heritage façade is retained, however the two level rear section of the proposed development will include a modern new layout, with public spaces for meetings and lectures. 

“This is a design that reflects feedback from our community, the tenants and incorporates input from our award-winning architects,” said Mayor Ross Ebbels. “We hope residents will let us know what they think of the design for this exciting new community hub.” 

One of the more controversial elements of the design is a new verandah extending beyond the building’s façade and over the Hesse Street footpath.

The Hub, which has been on the Queenscliffe’ Council’s wish list for close to a decade, became a reality when the State Government transferred funding to the project from the now shelved Destination Queenscliffe. 

The Federal Government and BoQ have also contributed funding. Construction is expected to begin in October.
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The design can be found on the BoQ webpage. Community submissions close on Sunday June 7.

Local art galleries are gearing up to play an important role in welcoming visitors back to our towns, with three significant exhibitions launching in coming days.
 
After 10 weeks in lock down, Salt Contemporary is preparing to throw open its doors to a show of new paintings by Craig Parnaby, depicting the simple pleasures of life by the beach. 

“Craig’s paintings capture moments in time that are oh so familiar - a carefree bike ride, catching a wave with a friend, an afternoon spent lazing on a beach,” said Salt Director Fiona Kelly. 

“These are the moments that up until recently we have perhaps taken for granted and yet it is precisely these moments that many of us have found ourselves looking forward to and yearning for. 

“Through their work artists can challenge us to pause and reflect, to see the world a little differently.  Through his art Craig Parnaby creates a world that is calm, gentle and uncomplicated and there’s never been a better time to strive for such a world,” Kelly said.

Similarly, important themes for this time will be celebrated at Queenscliff Gallery and Workshop, in an exhibition of works - sculptures, drawings, prints and lithography - by good friends of many decades, Robert Hague, Peter Lancaster, Jim Pavlidis and Geoffrey Riccardo celebrating mateship. 

“The four men’s friendship and artistic expression are forged in continuity,” said the QG&W’s Soula Mantalvanos. “Their homes, studio environments and materials are testimony to timelessness and resilience - a bulwark against the advances of technology… and proof that living and working without succumbing to unnecessary change is still possible. 

Meantime, a new-look Seaview will turn to some of its favourite artists to brighten the spirits of locals and visitors alike. 
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“We have refurbished with new carpet and some paintwork and are looking forward to being open again,” said owner Colleen Kenwood.

Authorities have been urged to further investigate Queenscliffe’s beach erosion hot spots, after a damaging month of high tides and strong winds. 

Narrows Beach was hardest hit through May, with a barrage of large waves breaking the protective timber fence,  hastening the collapse of sand dunes and dislodging nearby timber beach access stairs. 

The Queenscliff front beach was also noticeably battered, with big swells carving a two-metre sand cliff along the high tide mark between the ferry terminal and pier. 

“Part of what we value most about living in the Borough is its spectacular coastline and welcoming beaches. Council is focused on preserving that environment for the benefit of many generations to come,” said Queenscliffe Mayor Cr Ross Ebbels. 
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“When dealing with acts of nature such as these increased tides, we’re always looking with one eye to the future. This means ensuring repaired the damage, says it has asked the Department of the Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and Parks Victoria to assess the erosion. 
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The Borough of Queenscliffe is anticipating a “six-figure” financial hit from the closure of caravan parks alone as a result of the coronavirus, according to CEO Martin Gill. 

Council’s Draft 2020-21 Budget forecasts an underlying deficit of $901,000, with a minimum drop in revenue, particularly from tourism, of $698,000 (7.2%). 

“While Council’s financial position over the long term is secure, the short-term impacts of the coronavirus pandemic are significant and unavoidable,” Mr Gill said.

“Revenue losses resulting from the closure of caravan parks are difficult to project, but are expected to reach six figures. 

“Additional expenses from Council’s subsidisation of many fees and charges to support our community are necessary stimulus measures, but nonetheless compound the effect on Council’s bottom line,” he said.

A new kerbside organic waste collection initiative and a revamp of parking in South Hesse Street are among few new projects to be undertaken next financial year. A $6.5 million capital works program will instead focus on completing existing projects, including the Queenscliff Cultural Hub and Point Lonsdale Lighthouse Reserve.

Rates will rise by two per cent, in line with the State Government rates cap, however hardship provisions have been increased and a one-off waste rebate will be given to households as part off a $330,000 package to soften the pandemic’s impact on residents and businesses. 

The $120,000 Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) waste service will be rolled out in coming months,. Already operating in other municipalities, it allows households to dispose of green waste and organics such as food scraps, coffee grounds, tissues and dog droppings. 
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A controversial $1.35million project to create 59 new car parking spaces and underground powerlines in South Hesse Street, is also expected to commence in coming weeks.