Mayor's Message - Friday 3 October 2025

October is Community Safety Month, and it provides us with a valuable reminder that we all play a role in keeping our community safe. It’s the perfect opportunity to come together to learn, connect and share ideas to foster stronger, safer neighbourhoods.

Throughout the month, there will be events and information sessions where residents can pick up practical safety tips and hear directly from experts. Highlights include a Victoria Police Neighbourhood Policing Forum and Coffee with a Cop, both fantastic opportunities to connect with local police, ask questions and strengthen the sense of trust and connection in our neighbourhoods.

These events are all supported by the Ballarat Safety Alliance, made up of more than 20 local organisations with a shared vision for Ballarat to be a safe, inclusive and respectful community.  

Alongside these events, we are also launching a new way for residents to share experiences using the Safer Ballarat Community Safety Mapping Tool. Safety is more than just preventing crime, it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable and confident, whether walking home in the evening, visiting a local park, or attending community events. The interactive tool will help us better understand where people in Ballarat feel safe - or unsafe - and why.

Your input will help support the creation of safer and more welcoming public places across our city. This may include informing the development of master plans, feeding into infrastructure schedules for lighting, footpath and road upgrades, providing evidence for funding applications, or supporting the development of new community safety projects and programs.

To let us know how Ballarat’s public spaces make you feel, visit the Safer Ballarat MySay page.

By getting involved in local events, contributing to the Community Safety Mapping Tool, and engaging in conversations about safety, every resident plays a part in shaping Ballarat to be a city where all people feel safe and secure. 

Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves