Ellen Burns | Political candidate

Ellen Burns

Phone: +61 407 373 645

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25.01.2022 My face, coming to a mailbox near you! Thankfully the rain and snow of last week has turned into sunny beautiful days again, just in time for my volunteers to get out there and pound the pavement. 71/83 areas have now been covered by volunteers!!... This week it has really hit home how impossible this campaign would be without the incredible network of supporters around me. Some of you I have known for decades, some of you I met for the first time when I dropped off your flyers!! Thank you for giving up your time and energy because you believe in me and the good I can do for our community if I get elected. I promise to give it my all, listen and represent you, stand up for what is right, cherish our heritage and work tirelessly for a better future - for all of us.

24.01.2022 We're so close!! Only 5 DAYS until ballot packs get sent out!

24.01.2022 We've got a plan! If you want to know more about our plan to step up climate action in Ballarat, comment below or send me a message. You can also hear Belinda Coates, Jackson Snep and I speak at the BREAZE - Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions and Ballarat Green Drinks forum tonight from 7:30pm... Head to the BREAZE website or Facebook page to get the link!

24.01.2022 It wasn't a competition but we have a winner!

24.01.2022 I hope you had a good weekend I took the weekend off and it was glorious! It was a 5th Saturday so no farmer's market.... We went back to the property in Scotsburn where we got married last year to celebrate my mum's 60th birthday and our almost-anniversary. Bike rides, bush, board games, and lots of food and dranks I feel refreshed and ready for whatever this week brings! The VEC have just confirmed that the result of the council election will be announced on Friday I currently have the third highest primary vote with 8.5% of the votes left to be counted. Whether I hold onto the 3rd seat will depend on how the preferences fall. I always knew it was going to be close, so this is the situation I have been preparing myself for To be polling 3rd is a HUGE achievement as a first time candidate, whether I get elected or not, so thank you for voting for me!!

23.01.2022 Learn how to make elderberry syrup and Mauritian achard! Thanks to Rishna at A Pot of Courage and Sam McColl for helping me put together this session for BREAZE - Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions and their Smart Living Ballarat series. I hope you enjoy it, and let me know if you make any of the recipes!... https://fb.watch/4h9yGUs2Md/

22.01.2022 Wanna chat? I'll be at the Ballarat Farmers Market tomorrow from 9am-1pm It's across the road from the lake in Zoo Drive and tomorrow ALL stalls are back!... The last couple of months it's been food and drink, ie. 'essentials' only but tomorrow everyone's back! Masks on, lots of distancing, most places accept card payments. Last market I had quite a few people coming up to ask me questions about running for council. It is so great to be able to have chats in person, so if you want to come say hi, ask me a question, buy some We Bar None snacks or a compost bin (I can sell them again now!) come by It's a great chance to get out and support local businesses. Who knows, it might even snow again!

22.01.2022 In case you missed the Ballarat Times News Group North Ward forum last night, you can watch it here! Skip to 18:30 and then 1:10:20 to hear my intro and closing statement. Lots of interesting questions posed last night, and if you have any more feel free to ask them below!

21.01.2022 Cardigan Village is a great little township in North Ward. It's full of families, big blocks and a relaxed rural lifestyle. As a candidate for North Ward, the outer suburbs are a high priority for me. We need to make sure that they have the services and amenities they need, and are not out of sight and out of mind! My plan for Cardigan Village:... Improve cycling infrastructure and networks Advocate for an upgrade to the BMX track More trees and green spaces Build biodiversity Support local small businesses Lobby for improved public transport networks Encourage local community, arts, culture and sporting events I want to listen to you, represent you, and help make Cardigan Village an even better place to live!

20.01.2022 Is climate change a council issue? YES! What do Belinda, Jackson and I plan to do about it? Improve recycling and promote a closed-loop waste system... Upgrade our green bins to FOGO bins, meaning you can throw your kitchen scraps and food waste in there! Increase Ballarat's canopy coverage from 17% to 40% Introduce incentives to help people switch to renewables, like a no upfront cost lending program Advocate for a per capita spend on active transport Hold developers to the highest standard of sustainable design, meaning cheaper bills and more comfortable houses Continue advocating for improved public transport Encourage the creation of green jobs, growing our local economy and making us a regional leader These things are completely doable, other councils have implemented most of these already! Together, we can build a better future. A greener, cleaner, cheaper home for all of us. Come along to the BREAZE candidate forum next Wednesday at 7pm to ask us about it in more detail, or just ask here in the comments!

19.01.2022 Do you want to see the mall reopened to traffic? I have spoken to so many residents and business owners and the same things keep coming up again and again: We don't want another road. We want outdoor dining like Armstrong St but somewhere you can actually get a park!... Knock down Norwich Plaza. Put in a park and wind breaks. Make it a nice place to be full of good businesses! Do you agree? If you don't subscribe to The Courier, read my letter to the editor below: The plan to reopen the Bridge Mall to traffic shows that the council are not listening to the public and businesses that actually use the mall. It is a huge waste of money that could better be spent investing in the area and reactivating it. The fact that there are discussions to close Armstrong Street and reopen Bridge Mall just show how messed up the council planning is. The Bridge Mall needs an investment into outdoor dining areas and green spaces, not a road! There is already plenty of parking and the only people that use the mall currently are the elderly, disabled, and parents with kids. They use the space because it is safe, sheltered, and easy accessible. A road would take away all of those positives. Bridge Mall is a wind tunnel and opening it up will increase the cold weather that rushes down from Sturt Street. Norwich Plaza should be demolished and a green space put in with proper wind breaks. Businesses and restaurants should be given incentives to move into the area. If you make it a nice space to be in with great shops and dining areas, people will come!

17.01.2022 FOUR DAYS until ballot packs are sent! This week has been a flurry of getting my face out there, online forums (3 for me this week!), surveys, pledges and media. It's getting to the pointy end! ... You can help my campaign by sharing my Facebook page with your friends, tagging your North Ward friends in my posts and talking about me to everyone you know! Every new person that I reach could mean another vote. Every little bit helps.

17.01.2022 It's the Ballarat Times News Group North Ward Forum tonight from 6:30pm! This is the first of three chances you have to hear me speak this week, with the BREAZE - Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions forum tomorrow night at 7pm and the Ballarat Community Alliance forum on Saturday at 3pm. It's great that a few more online forums have popped up this year, to try and make up for the fact that we can't have community events in person.... Come along and listen!

16.01.2022 I pledge to: Commit to democracy and transparency Act in the best interests of my community, including vulnerable members Maintain a quality work environment Stand for service provision... Advocate for fair revenue and financing Always consider the good of the collective Actively support council workers through the COVID19 pandemic Thanks @asu.vic

16.01.2022 I've been asked to explain how I missed out on getting elected despite getting the 3rd highest primary vote. I think it's important that people understand the process, as it may effect the way they vote in the future, so here's a quick run down on what happened! Our council elections are calculated using preferences, unless you manage to achieve "quota".... Quota = the number of votes (number of open seats + 1) In North Ward, Amy Johnson achieved quota and was automatically elected (as Belinda did in Central, and Des Hudson in South) Her "2" votes got weighted down to the number of excess votes and reallocated. The candidates then get excluded from the bottom up, with the "2" votes being reallocated to the remaining candidates. As you can see via the distribution report, I was in third place until Jay Morrison was knocked out and his preferences favoured Daniel Moloney over me. This means that I didn't get excluded, I just didn't win. This also means that if for any reason one of the councillors resigns, I get elected! A similar thing happened in 2016, so I was preparing myself for this possibility. It's disappointing and can seem confusing, so I hope I've made it a bit clearer I'm very proud to have gotten so close - thanks to all of you who voted me 1!! This is just the beginning of my journey.

15.01.2022 Congratulations Belinda Coates on being awarded Highly Commended for the Climate Ambassador Award in tonight's Cities Power Partnership Climate Awards This is a national award, so to be named as runner up is incredible and a demonstration of how hard you work and how effective you are. It might be too early to celebrate your council re-election (though it's looking very good!) but tonight you can celebrate your many many achievements so far.... You are an inspiration.

15.01.2022 I pledge to work towards: Genuine reconciliation Looking after and building our community A greener more vibrant Ballarat... Leading the way on local climate action and sustainability Working smarter Love Ballarat, protecting history and heritage Reviving the local economy Planning better Enhancing connection and belonging Continue to engage with the Ballarat Community Alliance beyond the election. Yes. Yes. Yes! You took the words right out of my mouth, Ballarat Community Alliance!

15.01.2022 Know who you're voting for! The Courier sent around a survey for candidates and you can check out the North Ward answers here. There are some really great questions, about who we are as people, our vision, background and motivations.... If you've got any questions of your own, ask away!

13.01.2022 Show me your snow pictures! Ballarat is looking beautiful right now

13.01.2022 Andrea Hurley is the owner of Hattie and the Wolf, a beautiful little shop on Skipton St. She sells clothes, art and gifts (and We Bar None snacks of course!) with an emphasis on local and sustainable producers. She is also a designer and artist herself, making beautiful things under the brand Bird & Blossom ... She is ALSO involved with Boomerang Bags Ballarat, Fifteen Trees and runs a pre-loved clothes boutique in the top floor of her shop with The Wardrobe Green called The Wardrobe Green Shop She also has 4 King Charles spaniels! Andrea is so active in the Ballarat community and it makes me so proud to have her endorsement.

11.01.2022 Flashback to February when The Hidden Orchard season was in full swing! With COVID cases dropping and regional Victoria opening back up, it's looking hopeful that we'll be able to have another huge season this summer. It never ceases to amaze me how much fruit you can harvest with a couple of volunteers and an hour or so.... Being able to deliver trays of fruit (the harvest in this video we gleaned 258kgs of pears from ONE backyard!) to food relief organisations is so incredibly rewarding. We're rescuing food that usually goes to waste and using it to feed our community. We do all this with minimal financial input - about $5000 in different grants over our 3 years to pay for ladders and equipment. There are groups all over Ballarat just like ours, contributing immeasureable benefits to our community. Working for free to make our city a better place to live. In fact, 22% of Ballarat residents volunteer, which is higher than the state or national averages! I am so proud of the volunteers in our community, and I'm so proud to be one of them! Where do you volunteer? If you aren't volunteering yet, what kind of thing would you like to get involved with?

09.01.2022 Not good news I'm afraid... Daniel Moloney overtook me once the preferences were allocated and I just missed out. Congratulations to Daniel and Amy on being re-elected, and to Peter Eddy on being a successful first-time candidate (not an easy feat!)... I want to thank again everyone that supported my campaign. I am incredibly proud of the campaign that I ran - positive, forward-thinking, and based on my values, experience, character, and what I can offer the community. If you want to continue to follow my journey, you can find me at We Bar None or The Hidden Orchard I will continue to be active and involved in the community, and watching the next council very closely. I am incredibly proud of my primary vote and how successful I was this year, only just missing out. If one of the elected councillors drops out of the role for any reason, you'd better believe I'll be ready to step up! This journey has made me stronger, given me deeper connections with the community, and shown me what our city wants for its future. A huge congratulations to Belinda Coates who has been re-elected in Central. I wish I could have gotten the chance to work with you this term, I know you will keep steering this city forwards. Change does not happen over night!

08.01.2022 I'm really looking forward to next Thursday! Rochelle Kirkham has put together a fundraising event for the incredible Ballarat Foundation featuring a panel discussion with 3 Ballarat business legends. If you're passionate about business and community, like me, you'll want to grab a ticket to this!... There are also cheaper tickets available that allow you to tune in and watch from home :) Check it out!

06.01.2022 Did you know I had a radio show on Voice FM when I was in high school? My career highlight was interviewing Shane from the Biggest Loser Community radio is so important, and Voice FM need your help!... A lot of their ad revenue has disappeared under COVID and they need support to continue. Please donate if you can

05.01.2022 The Community Alliance forum starts in an hour! It's the last online forum where you'll have the chance to hear from all the candidates and ask us questions so make sure to tune in

04.01.2022 Meet Your Local Eco Groups! What a great session today - 'speed dating' with 10 Ballarat community groups doing amazing things and looking for more members and volunteers. If you're looking to get more involved with the Ballarat community this year - watch this!

03.01.2022 Tune in to the next Smart Living Ballarat webinar on Wednesday to learn how to make Elderberry Syrup and Mauritian Achard! Rishna, head chef at A Pot of Courage, generously shares her Mum's recipe for Achard - a chilli and mustard pickle made using simple ingredients that can easily be found or grown in Ballarat. I show you how to process elderberries properly (they are toxic when raw!), turning a The Hidden Orchard harvest into a delicious cold and flu home remedy.... This is a free online session so head to the event to register and invite your friends!

02.01.2022 I don't just support small business owners, I AM a small business owner Being a sole trader and an extrovert, often the best part of my week is going to the local farmer's markets. Not only do I get to connect with my We Bar None customers and the community, but I get to connect with other business owners.... After 3 years, a lot of these people feel more like friends or even colleagues! We chat about business, what's going well and what's not, we chat about life, and celebrate or commiserate about the weather! Tim Bone - local MasterChef Australia alumni and toasted sandwich artiste - is just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He exudes positivity and sincerity. He and his gorgeous wife Abbey have recently welcomed their first child and Tim is already back at it, slinging toasties to the masses! The drive, passion and talent of our local producers and small business owners never ceases to amaze me. Catch us both at the Bridge Mall Farmers Market tomorrow from 9am-1pm AND make sure you walk right down the end and visit Ivy&Coco at their grand opening!! Bridget has built up her business so quickly that she's outgrown her house and has set up a studio in the Bridge Mall across from The Healthy Hub Cafe & Wellness Centre In the middle of lockdown and an unemployment crisis, there are local businesses that are thriving! Small businesses add so much to our local economy and culture. If elected, supporting small business and local job creation will be one of my main focuses. We will survive this. We will thrive!

01.01.2022 Just got home from some letterboxing and now relaxing with a white wine spritzer and some local talent. Isol-Aid is streaming all arvo, check it out!

01.01.2022 I could not be more excited for this!