Small Business Festival brochure mistakes Ballarat and Bendigo in embarrassing blunder
CAN you tell the difference between Ballarat and Bendigo? A state government agency had trouble doing so after embarrassingly bungling the regional cities’ locations on a map spruiking a major business festival.
VIC News
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A STATE government agency promoting a small business event has blundered by switching the regional cities of Ballarat and Bendigo on a map.
A brochure advertising the Small Business Festival contains a map which places Bendigo in the west and Ballarat to its northeast.
The slip-up was only noticed after it was “too late to rectify”, a Small Business Victoria spokesman said.
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“We have now reprinted and redistributed new copies,” he said.
“While we apologise for the error, the fact of the matter is the Small Business Festival will offer more regional events than ever before.
“The people of Bendigo and Ballarat can rest assured we know exactly where they are, they will see plenty of activity as part of this year’s festival.”
The “unfortunate oversight” has bamboozled those in the two regional cities, which have a combined population of more than 250,000.
Bendigo’s mayor Margaret O’Rourke said although the two cities shared a gold rush history, they were “quite distinct”.
“This just adds confusion and I’m a bit surprised by the mistake,” she said.
“I would hope that whoever has produced it rectifies the situation.
“You just wouldn’t want the level of confusion that has probably arisen because of these brochures.”
Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh took a more lighthearted approach, and said anything that drew attention to the city’s businesses was “welcomed”.
“This is not the first time, nor do I imagine it will be the last time, someone accidentally gets Ballarat and Bendigo confused,” she said.
“With new business up by over 6 per cent in Ballarat in the past 18 months, it will take more than a typographical error in a brochure to stop the investment and growth in our vibrant city,” she added.
But Coalition MP for Western Victoria Joshua Morris said Premier Daniel Andrews needed to get out into regional Victoria more.
“It’s no wonder regional Victoria is missing out under Premier for Melbourne Daniel Andrews, when he can’t tell the difference between Bendigo and Ballarat,” he said.
“The cities of Ballarat and Bendigo are significant cities in Victoria — the third and fourth largest in the state — and the Premier should be able to tell the difference.”
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