Today Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle gave a Members Statement in the Victorian Parliament outlining the community consultation process and her plan for the revitalisation of Sebastopol.

Her full statement is below:

Ms SETTLE (Buninyong) (09:53): At the heart of my electorate of Buninyong is a fantastic place named Sebastopol. Sebastopol is a vibrant community of working people and small business owners, and it is home to many young families and retirees alike. Sebastopol is the second-most populated area in urban Ballarat and is a vital part of our community. I have spent many happy days in Sebastopol. Some of my happiest mornings have been at Sebastopol Primary School as a breakfast club volunteer, and I have been happy doing my CFA minimum skills training at Sebastopol CFA and enjoying the camaraderie and skill of the players at the Sebastopol football netball club, the mighty Burra.

The Sebastopol community is a proud one. However, it is a community that has been neglected for too long. That is why today I am pleased to inform the house and the residents of Sebastopol that work has begun to put the spotlight back on Sebas.

Premier Andrews could see the need to invest in this proud and strong community and has allocated $5 million to revitalise the community—and it is the community that knows best.

I am pleased to inform the house that I have commenced work on a suburb-wide community engagement plan to ensure that everyone gets their say. Work on upgrades to the Sebastopol Library are complete, but I want to let those in Sebas know that this is just the start. Over the coming weeks I will be out pounding the streets, knocking on doors, talking to residents and hosting a community speak-out to listen to ideas and feedback directly from the residents of Sebas. I want to make sure that the best outcomes are achieved for residents, with local voices as the principal guide for how the money is spent. It is their community.