How tall is too tall? Group wants to know

LOCAL lobby group, Ballarat Heritage Watch, will meet early next month, and the future look and feel of the central business district is on the agenda.

With the City of Ballarat’s new CBD urban design framework document due to be discussed by council in coming months, the group is seeking input from residents on what feedback could, and should, be provided to the municipality.

The meeting comes after recent building development approvals have raised the ire of some linked to BHW.

“Ballarat Heritage Watch members and many other residents place very high value on the history and the heritage of this city, and we believe it is central to Ballarat’s attractiveness as a tourist destination,” said Stuart Kelly, BHW president.

“We are not anti-development. We are anti inappropriate development that will spoil the very things that make this city so special.”

Of key concern for Mr Kelly are how tall buildings should be.

New six and seven story developments have recently been okayed by City of Ballarat council and Mr Kelly said without set limits on how high buildings can be, there’s a risk of further increases.

“The lack of mandatory height limits on which the City of Ballarat should base its decisions about buildings near the CBD, alarms those of us who care about the unique history and architecture of Ballarat,” he said.

“If development and heritage are seen as being in conflict, our heritage buildings are imperilled.

“In fact there is no reason for a conflict. If we look overseas, we can find many examples of cities that have managed to protect and retain the best of their heritage while having vibrant modern cities alongside.

“It’s a matter of choice how we address this and whether we have planning that sets boundaries and applies them.”

As part of the public meeting, two key speakers will address issues of heritage and development.

They include Emeritus Professor Michael Buxton from RMIT’s school of design and Royal Historical Society Victoria Heritage Committee deputy chair Ian Wight.

Ballarat Heritage Watch’s event is set for Sunday, 6 November between 2pm and 4pm at Ballarat Trades Hall.