Author Archive
For the Civic Hall Precinct the moment is now
Ron Egeberg There are real opportunities for Ballarat with the proposed civic hall and surrounding precinct development decided by council last Wednesday night. Although I must say I am disappointed the lower hall is being sacrificed to achieve this outcome. …
Opinion – Civic Hall Precinct remains a fiasco and must be sorted
Ron Egeberg I am astounded that our councillors have not only stopped the redevelopment process for the Civic Hall site, but have now announced that there has been no business case put forward to date for its adaptive re-use. Or …
An open letter to our new Tourism CEO
The Courier April 14, 2016 First, let me welcome Noel Dempsey, the newly appointed CEO of Ballarat Regional Tourism to our city. And in doing so, may I offer some insights into Ballarat, one of Australia’s premier regional cities. I …
Our railway station precinct needs thoughtful sustainable development that supports our transport hub.
The Courier March 16, 2016 I was also an attendee at the Ballarat Railway Station Precinct Advisory Committee Hearings on 8, 9 and 10 March. What was disappointing was that no councillors attended. Why? Council’s desire to abdicate its responsibility …
Institutional Abuse is only part of the child sex abuse issue
The Courier – 24 February I was brought up a Catholic; I went to both Catholic primary and secondary schools. Fortunately, I was never exposed to the apparent widespread level of child sex abuse that was occurring in the Catholic …
Rate capping will ensure proper Council processes
The Courier Wednesday 24 February Once again, our councillors are treating the community with contempt by suggesting it won’t be able to manage Council’s affairs with the planned introduction of rate capping by the state government in July 2016. Rate …
Australia must become a Republic in the Queen’s lifetime
Ballarat Courier Wednesday February 24, 2016 The current discussion on the future of the monarchy in Australia has been clouded by sentiment. Australia must come of age and become a republic. This should happen during the Queen’s life time so …
Community should help with CEO search
Ron Egeberg With the possible exception of the development sector, the short term future for Ballarat’s economy looks bleak. On top of this, staff morale at Ballarat City Council is low, and the organisation has failed to deliver a coherent …
We must remember the Eureka sacrifice and its legacy.
Herald Sun 2 December 2015 On 3 December this year, Australians should pause to remember the great sacrifice made at the battle fought at the Eureka Stockade at dawn on 3 December 1854 right here in Ballarat. As Mark Twain …
Hospitality is a proud profession
Ballarat Courier Weekender Feature 21 November 2015 When I first came to Ballarat in 1982, there were some 50-odd hotels in the town that were providing a vibrant “pub” drinking culture. There were also pubs that supplied good “pub” food …