IT’S that time of year again when Christmas break-ups are in full swing and everyone wants to celebrate the year which has passed us by.
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For most people, celebrating with workmates, family and friends by sharing a few drinks is the perfect way to wind down.
However, it’s also a time of year when alcohol abuse can lead to negative consequences.
This year there has been significant discussion in Australia about the need to strengthen laws regarding serious public assaults. Most often, these are incidents fuelled by over-consumption of alcohol.
Governments across the country have either implemented or are considering stronger penalties for so-called “one-punch” killers.
We haven’t been immune in Ballarat to such instances in the past and the potential still exists, particularly in the nightlife precincts.
Victoria police yesterday issued a warning to residents in preparation for tonight’s break-up celebrations, undoubtedly directed at the region’s tradies and office workers, that officers will be out in force to ensure behaviour is appropriate. They’ll be targeting any person who plans taking celebrations too far.
It’s an approach which will have broad support in the Ballarat community - be safe and be happy - and don’t let your celebrations turn sour.
BLX deserves to be reinvented
The cloud which hovers over the Ballarat Learning Exchange is one which deserves a wider audience.
Hailed as a centrepoint of diverse opportunities and within a broader educational precinct, the BLX was opened in 2005 with great fanfare.
Many of the organisations which have made the BLX home have either closed or are struggling and today we learn the entire centre is subject to inquiry over its future.
The theory behind the BLX is strong, however the model is one which was created in a different time.
Its focus, however, on supporting young people is something which is essential to Ballarat’s growth and development.
We’ve seen the impacts of unsupported youth in Ballarat too often, so any centre, or funding, which encourages engagement and prosperity deserves support.