Even so, tough pandemic conditions highlighted generosity, innovation and strong sense of community among Ballarat people in supporting each other.

In the final part of The Courier's Ballarat Unmasked, our welfare and business leaders share what they learned from 2020.

See part one, big lessons, here.

See part two, health lessons, here.

See part three, political lessons, here.

What has a tough year like 2020 taught us about our city?

Despite 2020 being an extremely difficult year for many in the Ballarat community it very clearly demonstrated we are fortunate to live in a community that is both very compliant, resilient and with neighbours, friends and even previously unknown people prepared to look after each other in times of special need. The manner in which most residents accepted the severe lockdown restrictions played a key role in preventing the spread of the virus in Ballarat with a relatively low number of cases being recorded. This response has confirmed that while restrictions were of significant inconvenience to residents and businesses and presented a huge challenge, the results achieved confirm their necessity.

Ballarat can now look forward with confidence to a much better 2021 knowing authorities and the medical fraternity have far greater knowledge of the virus and the manner in which it can be controlled, with the likely availability of a vaccine in the relatively near future also being of great assistance.

What in your mind was the standout effort during 2020?

I firmly believe the stand out effort during 2020 was the vitally important role played by our very dedicated and extremely talented medical professionals, including the staff at our two outstanding hospitals and those in private practice. This group was faced with a near unprecedented medical challenge, and the manner in which those who fell victim to the virus were treated speaks volumes for our wonderfully talented local medical professionals.

Recognition must also be made of the services provided by the paid staff and many volunteers at our major welfare agencies and charities, all of whom worked tirelessly to provide the highest level of support to the many families who found it necessary to seek welfare assistance as result of the many job losses, business closures and never before seen economic turmoil caused by the virus. Supporting and assisting the increased number of people experiencing family violence added further pressure to an already heavy workload.

To all of these people and the services they provided, be they medical professionals or those involved in welfare support, we owe a very large debt of gratitude.

Will Ballarat be a better place after the pandemic, how?

At the present time it is difficult to say if Ballarat will be a better place after the pandemic, but you would expect that our great city will be somewhat different in a number of respects to the one which we knew prior to the pandemic. Some of the differences will be the permanent loss of those businesses which unfortunately will never reopen their doors - businesses that have been a very familiar part of Ballarat for many years, and in some instances, generations.

Work conditions for many will change from those which previously formed part of everyday life in our city, and these changes will take time for many in the workforce to adjust.

Some challenges, which at this point still remain unknown, will also require addressing, and the manner in which we meet these challenges will play a key role in determining the Ballarat of the future.

However, in years past Ballarat has demonstrated its outstanding ability and determination to meet and successfully overcome a huge variety of challenges and we should all feel confident in the ability of our great city to remain one of the finest cities in regional Australia.

What would you like to see retained from the pandemic and built on in 2021?

Providing an answer to this question is somewhat difficult as I imagine that most of us would prefer to put the pandemic behind us along with 2020, and look forward to a much better year in 2021. However, the manner in which the Ballarat community came together as one and complied with the many restrictions placed upon us all was an excellent example of what can be achieved through community co-operation and support in a time of crisis. Hopefully we will not be faced with a similar or even greater crisis in the years to come, but should such a situation arise we must remember that so much more can be achieved when we act as a caring community for the benefit of everyone, and not just ourselves.

What has a tough year like 2020 taught us about our city?

In many respects, we've seen the best of Ballarat this year, whether that's been through people giving time or donations to those who were vulnerable due to COVID19 or binding together as a community abiding by restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus. We've been overwhelmed by the response from those fortunate enough to be in a position to give a little extra time or money to help others and it's something we should be incredibly proud of as a community.

However, I believe it has reinforced that, as a community, we are stronger working together. Our successes in the future will rely upon better relationships between community and its leaders; and business and social partnerships which promote the greater good.

What in your mind was the standout effort during 2020?

From a global perspective, we are so fortunate to have health systems and an approach to health care in Australia which puts people first. Our frontline health care workers have been right in the middle of a crisis the likes of which we haven't experienced for generations. Maybe we've taken this for granted before 2020.

Will Ballarat be a better place after the pandemic, how?

In short, yes.

Ballarat has always been a city of opportunity and innovation and COVID has changed the way we live and work - maybe forever. With this there will be great opportunities to develop new industries and approaches to working which will make us very attractive to people who might only ever consider living in a metropolitan community. The question is: do we have the leadership which is ready and geared to grab this opportunity?

That said, our road back is going to be tough. Gaps of inequality and disadvantage in our community have become chasms due to the impact of the lockdowns. High unemployment will create a significant strain on support services in areas such as housing and food security in 2021 and beyond as government emergency supports decrease or disappear. Further support and investment will be required to start the climb out.

What would you like to see retained from the pandemic and built on in 2021?

I'd like to see more partnerships between the community and leaders which has been such a great feature of the COVID response.

The Foundation has been fortunate to work with multiple donors and service providers to create a food relief response to COVID which has been successful not just because it helped put food on the tables of families and students in need but it emphasised the power of an united approach to making our community better.

It's so important that the lessons we've learned about the positive value of working towards a shared goal is central to every big picture decision made by businesses, by governments and by communities. This will promote inclusion, diversity and promote better outcomes.

What has a tough year like 2020 taught us about our city?

This year has taught many valuable lessons. Firstly, to appreciate little things in lie - especially nature-filled moments. Secondly, the significance of wrapping our arms around our community, particularly those in need. And thirdly, 2020 really highlighted the power in growing your own food. In Autumn this was particularly evident with nurseries and seed sellers running out of stock, due to demand. We realised that growing food brings benefits such as saving money, being more food secure, growing food without the use of chemicals or zero food miles and the mental and health rewards, but something the pandemic shone a light on was the power of DIY [do-it-yourself].

This year additionally emphasised how important community connections are. Lockdown brought many challenges on this front, and those who were able gravitated towards screen-based Zoom catch-ups on devices. Humans are creatures who crave and thrive on connections. Without that physical capability to catch up, we not only had to improvise, but for me it made me realise how fundamentally impactful connections in my neighbourhood are. Without visitors to the two Food Is Free sites near my home, I was bereft of community. Absence of volunteer catch-ups during their shifts, along with visitors, left me craving those conversations.

What in your mind was the standout effort during 2020?

I was overwhelmed at the fact that the vast majority of people chose to be more compassionate towards their fellow humans. Nothing matters more than this. Hopefully 2020 will act as a real springboard for everyone to always consider others before ourselves, in the knowledge that people coming together is a mighty energy which brings only good things to the planet, coupled with a deep sense of hope.

I believe the sheer gravity of realisation of what truly drives community spirit (at its very core) is really starting to become apparent as we emerge from these lockdowns. People power is at the heart of that.

Will Ballarat be a better place after the pandemic, how?

I loved seeing loads of locals really exploring nature in their own neighbourhood during the pandemic and slowing down in life. I know I did the same at every opportunity I had. There's

something quite empowering about taking time out of a busy day to still the mind and soul

in nature. And the best bit - it costs nothing. Seeing so many embracing wholesome pursuits like home bread baking, growing food and nature bathing was a direct reaction to the pandemic. Let's hope that continues, and people recognise the restorative power in being immersed in the great outdoors: be it a walk around the Lake, exploring the incredible paths we have along creek beds in our town, a family walking adventure at Woowookarung Regional Park, or even just setting up a backyard veggie bed or growing herbs on a small balcony. Let's hope gestures such as supporting local and ethical businesses really becomes the norm.

What would you like to see retained from the pandemic and built on in 2021?

The standout feature of hard times during COVID lockdowns and the so many future uncertainties it brought actually reaffirmed exactly what I already know - Ballarat is a compassionate city made up of incredible humans who look out for one another. My hope is to see this not merely retained, but actually built upon.

As we enter Summer and with a new year on our doorstep, it isn't a time to become complacent. The myriad of bi-product struggles the COVID pandemic will bring will fester - economic hardship, mental health fallouts, and indeed food insecurity increasing will become our next hurdles.

This is something Food Is Free has long been preparing for, and hopes to address from 2021 and beyond, in our continued mission to educate as many community members as possible on what empowerment can be gained from growing your own food; as well as our pact to operate inclusive Food Is Free sites to inspire and bring social cohesion to our city.

What has a tough year like 2020 taught us about our city?

Kindness has far outweighed meanness.

The testing times we have been through brought out both the best and worst in people. However, whilst we had a small number of patients and customers who occasionally let their anxiety and fears manifest as unpleasant behaviour, the over-whelming majority of people went out of their way to be kind, supportive and appreciative of the fact that we have all been trying to do our best.

At UFS we've also made a record-breaking donation of $100,000 to various food and emergency relief organisations that support those people who were forced to rely on food hand-outs as they were inexplicably left without any form of government support during the pandemic. We've had a huge amount of positive feedback from our members about these donations.

What in your mind was the standout effort during 2020?

Many of us, as individuals and organisations, have demonstrated an amazing capacity for finding new solution and achieving rapid adaptation to changing conditions. Early in the pandemic at UFS we were making changes on a daily basis to better protect our patients, customers, staff and suppliers, and ensure that our essential health services kept running.

At this stage, many of us have forgotten how difficult the early weeks were when it wasn't possible to source adequate supplies of hand sanitiser, perspex screens and disinfectant.

We remain very appreciative of the other Ballarat companies which helped us adapt quickly. In particular, Haymes paint for making and donating bulk hand sanitiser, Sovereign Hill, Regent Multiplex and Showcase Cinemas for lending barrier ropes, and the City of Ballarat for "pivoting" their services at Lucas to enable us to set up the COVID testing clinic in a very short timeframe.

Will Ballarat be a better place after the pandemic, how?

We have fast-tracked the adoption of so many capabilities that will stand us in good stead. Many business have realised that you can have fast and efficient meetings by Zoom or similar platforms, with most people now (reasonably) adept at it. (On a personal note, it's been a pleasure to discover how many people own cats).

I anticipate that it will become easier to recruit key health professionals such as pharmacists and general practitioners who may have a partner employed by a Melbourne-based company. Whereas we've always promoted the fast(ish) train, now we can confidently advise that telecommuting is a widely accepted practice. It's become a lot easier to promote the benefits of living and working in beautiful regional community.

What would you like to see retained from the pandemic and built on in 2021?

I'm definitely keen to retain our streamlined procedures, and the processes that we adopted to fast-track changes.

Disappointingly, the capability of our NBN was tested and found wanting...as was mobile phone coverage. Ten minutes for the centre of Victoria's second largest city, one of our senior team kept dropping out of phone conversations. I'd like to see a much greater investment in telecommunications in the coming years.

What has a tough year like 2020 taught us about our city?

It has reinforced what we already knew that not only are our business community tough and talented but the fact that so many work collaboratively gives us a real edge over many other areas.

What in your mind was the standout effort during 2020?

That's easy, how quickly our businesses adapted to whatever challenges were placed in front of them, they stayed open as best they could and or transitioned their services to online. Humbling to watch so many people stressed, distraught, concerned for their staff and families but just forging ahead with whatever needed to be done.

Will Ballarat be a better place after the pandemic, how?

We as a community must be extremely mindful that even when the pandemic starts to not be at the forefront of our lives it is very much going to be that way for our businesses for a long time to come. We may see them busy, booked out etc but we must remind ourselves it will take years for many to find themselves back where they were at the start of 2020. We have all learned to be more patient and gentle with each other I believe, if we continue in that spirit the city will feel a positive effect into the future.

What would you like to see retained from the pandemic and built on in 2021?

Retained and expanded on, continued improvement in online services and shopping. We would love to see every retailer with an online store, lets keep as many dollars as we can for our recovery.

What has a tough year like 2020 taught us about our city?

We've got the ability to be flexible and rapidly adapt, and people are more adaptable than we think. The community came together and supported each other, and showed resilience. We've got a lot of underutilised skills and capabilities in our city. If we work smarter together, we can do so much more - sometimes we need a reason to do stuff.

What was the standout effort during 2020 for you?

I'd have to say building a ventilator from scratch. If you're bragging about what's been achieved by this community, this is it - it was definitely a community-wide effort, and showed the importance of organisations like the Committee for Ballarat in playing a facilitating role across different groups. They were approached by Ballarat Health Services to find a solution, and then became part of the solution by helping bring together different capabilities that Gekko required to design, build, and fund the ventilator.

For us, the community funding, 50 per cent of the government's contribution - and for the government to act so quickly and step up, pretty much within a week they verbally told us they could co-fund it. To me, that's pretty amazing, they did some rapid assessments and made some rapid decisions. That was what was required.

Across the board more broadly, there were quite a lot of logic - the community showed a logical and scientific reaction to COVID, and then people showed self-discipline.

Will Ballarat be a better place after the pandemic, and how so?

Definitely we're going to be better, we already are better I think. It goes back to we're believing in ourselves more, and it's clearer to us why living in a regional city is a strength, and an opportunity.

We're going to continue to think innovatively and work more closely together, and hopefully support some of the groups affected by the pandemic, like the creative community, and the hospitality community. With any luck, by supporting local.

What would you like to see retained from the pandemic and built on in 2021?

The community became more connected, and I think they became more confident as a result of the pandemic. I think we've got much more of a can-do attitude, and a sense we need to make things happen now. Let's think bigger to how we were thinking before. I think that's a great outcome, I think it's an important outcome, and of course, people wanted to come here.

From our point of view, the whole concept of a med-tech hub that's been floated, given that incredible support we had from groups like BIRCH and the anaesthetists groups, the Runway Accelerator - we've got an amazing infrastructure that can support a med-tech sector.

It showed us there's an opportunity for us, and in terms of thinking big, this whole concept about independent and having our own micro-grid, investing in a circular economy, managing our waste, increasing and supporting our energy independence, those are all the things that came out of the thinking during the pandemic I'd like to see built on in 2021.

Handy Girl who innovated with Haymes Paints, WestLab, Deutscher with the hospital beds - there were a lot of businesses who went out and developed new ideas, and created new jobs and opportunities locally.

The only thing I'd like to see a solution to is all this increased waste - all the packaging, hygiene, sterilisation, I don't know what the answer to that part is, but that's the part we don't want to keep.

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