"We can be anything we want."
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Committee for Ballarat chief executive Melanie Robertson is dreaming big for Ballarat and the people in its community.
Her message to believe in yourself, your visions, and your ability turn them into a reality resonated strongly on Friday, as communities around the world celebrated International Women's Day.
The leader of Ballarat's thought leadership and advocacy committee works to send the same message to her three young daughters; that they too can do anything they want, and sometimes we will have to work through barriers of self doubt.
Ms Robertson began working as chief executive of Committee for Ballarat in May 2016, following a diverse career background.
The passionate advocate for Ballarat moved to the city in 2000 after growing up in Tasmania.
Her professional career began in medicine before moving into engineering with a focus on water and sewerage.
"I had been overseas quite a bit and worked as a volunteer in rural and remote communities. A lot of the medical issues that we were seeing working for agencies like Red Cross were to do with water supply," she says.
"I had a pretty big vision of what I could do, and I thought if I could just fix the water supply I wouldn't have to worry about fixing them at the other end. The idea of preventative health was appealing to me."
After further studies and completing a masters in environmental engineering, Ms Robertson was approached to work in the renewable energy sector.
"I developed a passion for the change renewable energy could make. For me it was much more than energy. It is transformational for the communities you work in," she says.
Ms Robertson spent much of her time in the Royal Children's Hospital after her third child was born chronically ill. At that time she was asked to manage the Waubra Wind Farm.
"It was a ridiculous challenge. It was really problematic in the community and problematic in the industry and was tarnishing the reputation and development of wind farms all over Australia," she says.
"I planned to go there for three months and ended up there for nearly five years. We were able to transform it, develop networks and develop relationships. That was really important and I am really proud of that work."
As a woman in a male dominated industry, Ms Robertson encountered her own challenges in combating language of inequality.
At a wind farm conference she was asked what it was like to be a female site manager.
"I don't know what it is like to be anything else," she replied.
"We have to change the language and mindset early on - it should be about the fact that anyone can do this.
"My eldest daughter is a keen motorbike racer. She races in national championships against the boys and has won Australian off road events. She is the only girl on the start line and I am usually the only mum on the line. I remember turning around to her one day and saying 'does it bother you that we are the only two girls on the line?'. She just had this look in her eye. She looked at me and said 'mum what do you mean?'.
"I was so disappointed in myself for having that unconscious bias. I was putting those barriers and restrictions onto her. I think we do it really unconsciously. Here she was on the start line at the Australian championships and I asked her how does it feel to be the only girl here."
We have to change the language and mindset early on - it should be about the fact that anyone can do this.
- Melanie Robertson, Committee for Ballarat
As Committee for Ballarat's chief executive, Ms Robertson says she feels privileged to be in a role where her voice is heard and she has the ability to influence and create change.
"We have a tremendous ability with our proximity, an incredible culture of community, we can be anything we want. But I think the gaze is often looking down and it's a business as usual approach," she says.
"We want to continue to elevate people’s gaze up to what we can be, to dream big and turn things into a reality… We need to author the future of our town ourselves."
Part of realising this vision for Ballarat is to break down barriers we have created for ourselves - an idea that translates to creating a mindset of gender equality.
"Last weekend we were with friends at Calembeen Park at Creswick. I do have very brave, energetic kids who were jumping off the top tower. A friend said to me 'gosh they do well for girls' and I thought to myself gosh it would be nice to change that language," she says.
"Don’t they do well just for being who they are and if it is a girl jumping off or a boy jumping off what difference does it make?"
Ms Robertson's advice to young girls and women is to seek out strong mentors or champions and move past self doubt.
Believe in yourself to do whatever you want.
- Melanie Robertson, Committee for Ballarat
She says success is not something that can happen alone, but is dependent upon an understanding, strong and supportive network and the help of strong supportive male role models.
"Believe in yourself to do whatever you want," she says.
"It is important to create a network of support. We are not able to do it by ourselves. Something we need to get better at doing is asking for help.
"Something I was told that continues to resonate with me is we can do anything we want, but we can't do everything.
"I am passionate about raising strong resilient girls and creating a positive legacy."
Melanie Robertson was interviewed as part of a series of profiles to celebrate International Women's Day.
You can read more profiles of some of Ballarat's inspiring female role models below.