Draft budget open for feedback – City of Ballarat council meeting briefs

THE City of Ballarat 2023/24 draft budget has gone out for public exhibition, with councillors voting unanimously on the motion during their regular meeting on Wednesday last week.

Mayor Cr Des Hudson said the document is a mix of strengthening infrastructure and completing lingering projects.

“We’ve been disciplined during our budget to ensure we get the balance right between preparing for our future and consolidating and finishing what we started,” he said.

Representatives of Save Our Station and Ballarat Heritage the National Trust Ballarat branch and the Ballarat Historical Society presented on the item, saying the municipality needed to identify and accelerate the priorities in the planning scheme.

Cr Amy Johnson it was important to listen to what the community has to say about the draft budget’s proposed 3.5 per cent average rate increase.

“We as councillors need to go out to the community and make sure the broader Ballarat community are aware of what we’re proposing to fund and associated fees and charges,” she said.

The document was released for public feedback on Friday and is open until Friday, 19 May to be adopted by early June.

 

Mall overhaul advances

The contract for civil and landscaping works regarding the redevelopment of Bakery Hill has been awarded to developer 2Construct at a cost of more than $12 million.

With two tender submissions received by the City, and the chosen company will be responsible for the stage one woks on Bridge Mall as well as Grenville Street and Coliseum Walk.

Councillors moved to introduce a $3.6 million borrowing in the 2023/24 budget to account for an increase in cost, with the project originally announced in 2019 at $15 million.

Although he said the additional funding was not in excess, Cr Mark Harris said he didn’t support the project as a whole.

“I’ve never liked this mall development. I would’ve opened the street as a street and let it find it’s own future,” he said.

“I haven’t endorsed it in the past and I won’t endorse it at this stage,” he said.

Cr Daniel Moloney said the cost increase echoed similar project blowouts, urging councillors to either get on with the jobs due to the continued pressures of inflation or risk downsizing projects.

The motion was passed, with all but Cr Harris voting in favour.

 

Safety focus

The City of Ballarat’s procurement policy has been tweaked which will change the municipality’s approach in securing developers for projects.

Brett Edgington of Ballarat Trades Hall spoke the item, and said the draft gave an unfair advantage to developers with histories of negligent safety performance.

“Ballarat Trades Hall believes a company with an unsafe track record of providing an unsafe workplace should be excluded from tendering from any government contracts,” Mr Edgington said.

All councillors agreed to Mr Edgington’s changes, many of which were incorporated immediately into the document.

The policy update is also set to be reviewed within the next six months rather than the initially-planned 12 months.

Cr Moloney said the new policy is a “major step forward” for a more ethical tender process.

“It does give a greater 50 per cent weighting to safety performance. Community money should reflect community values,” he said.

 

Big plans for Marty Busch

Councillors adopted the Marty Busch Reserve Master Plan which will steer the development of the site, allowing for new courts, oval redevelopment, velodrome lighting and amenities.

Tim Canny, president of the Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club urged the masterplan’s adoption, with the group being one of the associated users of the site.

The overhaul is being supported by an election pledge of $8.4 million from the State Government and $1.5 million from the municipality.

Cr Ben Taylor said the support behind the masterplan is a “fantastic outcome.”

“We have seen some changes that have happened to the venue but this is fantastic news to get to where we are,” he said.

“Not only with a piece with a vision to what’s going to happen but actually with the cash behind it to deliver.”

 

Clock ticking on growth development

Councillors gave an update regarding the rezoning of Ballarat’s northern growth area following a presentation from Mike Kaufmann of Kaufmann Property Consultants representing Integra.

Mr Kauffman estimated the current growth planning began in 2015 with the report having gone to the Sate’s Minister for Planning early last year.

“This is eight years this has been going,” he said.

“I worry if we don’t accelerate this process and start to get some outcomes we may end up in a position where it may affect employment, diversity, and affordability.”

City of Ballarat CEO, Evan King, said the fast-tracking is now down to the Victorian Planning Authority conducting an infrastructure growth alignment framework to assess the region’s greenfield areas.

Municipal staff have since reached out for an update on the framework and rezoning and have yet to receive a response.