A SET of steps to give war veterans better access to the South East Asian War Memorial in Sturt Street is under construction.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, the City of Ballarat has given $16,500 towards the construction of the steps.
Vietnam Veterans Association secretary Peter Starr said the steps would make it easier for veterans wanting to visit the memorial.
“The whole idea of this was to improve accessibility. Last year when we were here we were really struggling to lay a wreath,” he said.
“... It’ll make it a lot easier and more accessible for the veterans because we’re getting a bit long in the tooth.”
The construction work comes as the community more broadly accepts and honours the veterans. “I can remember the days when you were too scared to tell anyone you were a Vietnam vet,” said association president Bill Dobell.
Mayor Des Hudson said the city worked hard to honour all of Ballarat’s veterans and helped where it could.
