Image credit: Larry Villa Pouca 2022
The City of Ballarat has welcomed a promise from the Australian Labor Party on Friday that it will commit $500,000 to a Continuous Voices Memorial if it retains government at the 26 November Victorian state election.
City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said the Continuous Voices Memorial will be a public space to acknowledge and honour survivors of sexual assault in a peaceful setting allowing for quiet reflection.
The memorial will be located near Lake 2, next to Plan Avenue in Victoria Park with associated works to include improved accessibility, lake edging, seating, lighting and new plantings.
The memorial's design will be informed by conversations with more than 50 survivors who spent 12 months exploring ideas of acknowledgment, memorials and telling survivor stories as part of the Continuous Voices Arts Project. The project is a Tier 2 advocacy priority project of city-wide significance for the City of Ballarat.
The City of Ballarat has committed $520,000 to the $1.5 million project and is seeking funding from state and federal governments.
Cr Moloney said he hopes to see the funding commitment for the memorial matched by all sides of politics.
The promise was made via media announcement and release by the Member for Wendouree and ALP candidate at the November 26 state election, Juliana Addison.