This week's long-awaited release of the Regional Australia Institute report Regional Population Growth: Are We Ready? is a big wake-up call for our city.

I have caught glimpses of Ballarat's ability to flirt with greatness.

I have also seen the tendency to run from risk and head back to the safe calm waters of small thinking and lack of vision.

The glimpses of greatness include locally grown companies like Gekko, Bartlett's, Albins and many others who have done a phenomenal job in breaking out of the small country city mentality. Many stand proud on a world stage.

There are also many examples of safe thinking occurring in Ballarat today.

This piece is not to dwell on past or current examples, but to encourage all of us to REALLY believe we can be stronger, bigger and better together.

The tendency to the ordinary, safe and mundane are influenced by those groups built on the civil service/quasi-government organisations.

All these are great organisations that we need for our growth. This is also not to dispute the fine effort being performed by each and every person in these organisations. We salute you.

It is more about the impact of the psychological mindset that these types of organisations have on the broader community in a small city.

While these organisations provide so many jobs, they can also lead to a lack of entrepreneurial thinking.

Ballarat simply does not have a choice on this issue any more. It has to think big and entrepreneurial.

We are going to be a really big city sooner than we think. It is in the hands of all of Ballarat to start putting pressure on all our organisations - both private and government - to move their thinking.

Do not be satisfied with business as usual. Business as usual does not create jobs.

We have to provide work in Ballarat for all the current job seekers and newcomers to Ballarat.

In some recent research, it was found that many of Ballarat's mid-size companies have the proud tradition of being more than 100 years old, with quite a few started in the 1800s.

Many started in the 1900s, but not many started in the last 10 years.

This recent lack of new mid-size businesses is crazy, as Ballarat growth is dependent on economic development in the private sector.

Government jobs are wonderful (such as the GovHub), and we can be grateful for these responsible developments by the state government.

The private sector in their way are doing a fantastic job of expanding their businesses and credit needs to go to these organisations for putting their own money into future investments.

Despite the risks, existing businesses need to take on the new challenges of work like artificial intelligence and more collaboration (for greater rewards) across local businesses and international alliances, to name but a few.

Then there is the question of where is the new private sector business?

Where is the large needed expansion in medium-size businesses? Where are the in-state or interstate relocations to Ballarat?

Why is there not a huge demand for another BWEZ, because it is already full and overflowing? Where are the new international organisation like Mars and McCain's?

Let me be clear. This is not just about council. This is about all of us dreaming big about what could be, and then doing it.

Ballarat is only limited by its ability to truly think big.

One of the key messages of Sir Bob Geldof's recent visit to Ballarat - and to paraphrase - "Local is where the world is at now. Grow yourselves, don't wait for others."

After all, how did Sir Bob, with no resources or financial backing, pull off the biggest Live Aid for hunger effort the world has seen?

Talking of Ballarat, Sir Bob had this to say in a direct quote: "It's so beautiful. Great people and a great scene going on," Sir Bob said. "I had no idea".

Sir Bob, after spending an afternoon and evening with the shakers and movers of Ballarat, gave us a glimpse of ourselves that we maybe do not see.

Can Ballarat leaders say we are ready for Ballarat's population growth? Some are ready, many are not.

But we all need to be ready and focus on the key big issues.

Come on Ballarat, we can do this. We can move our thinking. We have to think big. All of us.