THE CITY of Ballarat is set to send two councillors and a senior council officer to Austria this year to attend a World League of Historical Cities conference and board meeting.
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The matter is set to come before a council meeting this week and if it is approved, mayor Des Hudson, councillor Samantha McIntosh and the general manager people and communities Neville Ivey will make the journey to Bad Ischl in Austria.
Cr Hudson would then also visit Finland to investigate waste to energy facilities.
It is expected the councillors will present at the board of directors meeting between June 7 and 9.
The upcoming council agenda does not include an expected cost for the trip however it does say the WLHC and the host city meets the majority of conference registration, accommodation and meal costs associated with attending with a reduced contribution.
Both Cr Hudson and Cr McIntosh said they believed the benefit obtained by sending both councillors and the senior officer was value for money.
Cr Hudson said he believed the trip helped the city to deal with heritage issues and learn from cities with a similar heritage significance.
“We are a board member and we do have a higher degree of relevance, I think it is something we can hang our hat on,” he said.
“From Cr McIntosh’s point of view, she has been a long advocate for the heritage advisory committee and she obviously attended the last conference.”
Cr McIntosh said it was normal practice to send two councillors to the conference, which occurs every two years.
She said she believed history and heritage played a huge role in the future of Ballarat.
“I also believe if we want value, as one of the seven board members for the league, it is important we have a presence there,” she said.
“The history and heritage of Ballarat is so important and the thing we want to do is give it the value it deserves.
“If we are to get the best value for ratepayers as we possibly can, it is about the knowledge and sharing that with the people here,” she said.
The agenda for this week’s council meeting states that of particular importance at the meeting is the “launch of the Historic Urban Landscape guidebook, which has been developed in partnership with the City of Ballarat, UNESCO Category 2 centre WHITRAP (Shanghai, China) and the Collaborative Research Centre in Australian History (CRCAH) and Federation University.”
Cr Hudson’s trip to Finland follows the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding between VTT Finland and City of Ballarat in relation to the future development of a bioenergy plant.
Finland are considered leaders in the bioenergy field.
“That is something we are really looking at with the Ballarat West Employment Zone, it is opportune time to visit when we are virtually in their backyard already,” he said.