Media Response |

- City of Ballarat Infrastructure and Environment Director Terry Demeo 

The City of Ballarat works with a range of community and volunteer groups who play an active role in caring for parks and native reserves across the municipality. Each group works with Council based on their resources and timelines, with individual projects being brought to Council and resources committed as required.

Council certainly recognises the great role these community and volunteer groups play. The City of Ballarat's Community Development Unit has recently convened a workshop of all these groups to ensure they are appropriately aligned so resources are managed in the most productive and supportive manner. 

Sustainability is an issue which all departments across the City of Ballarat take seriously and it is embedded in our broader Ballarat Strategy and individual program budgets. That said, Council is realigning existing positions across both broader sustainability and native flora and fauna to enhance our commitment in this regard.

Council is committed to working with these groups and is always looking to improve our performance in supporting community and volunteer groups.

Council’s global budget includes resources of this nature, such as mulch and plants etc.

Via the recent Community Development Team workshop, protocol for community groups to engage with Council and work collaboratively has been established. If individual requests come in through Council’s normal channels, they are managed accordingly.

Council will always support projects by community and volunteer groups in the future.