Late review of Ballarat West plans – City of Ballarat council meeting briefs

A REVIEW of the Ballarat West Precinct Structure Plan and Ballarat West Development Contributions Plan has been conducted despite being five years overdue.

It will now go to the Minister for Planning to seek approval for the incorporation of the revised documents into the planning scheme.

The review aims to ensure development in the area will create equitable planning outcomes and a timely rollout of infrastructure.

To fund new infrastructure in growth areas, developers must pay a levy.

The Development Infrastructure Levy in the area currently sits at $341,627 for a residential development and $235,924 for a commercial development, but after the review increases to $422,774 and $277,795 respectively.

The Community Infrastructure Levy remains the same at $1450 per dwelling.

This increase in levies may affect housing affordability if developers pass on the additional costs to homeowners.

“This is a piece of work that is five years behind where it should be and should be done incrementally from here on in and done in a timely manner so there is not such large jumps for every one in that space,” said mayor Cr Des Hudson at last week’s City of Ballarat meeting, before the council went into caretaker mode on Tuesday.

“Development does not come at zero cost, and we are continuing to grow at such a large rate.

“We want to be able to build liveable communities, communities that everyone has an enormous amount of pride in.”

 

Footpath strategy on track

The City of Ballarat’s Footpath Construction Strategy was adopted by council at last week’s meeting.

The document prioritises where new footpaths will be built to improve safety, transport choices, and health and wellbeing.

It identifies where new footpaths are most needed and where sealing of unsealed paths should occur, including a top-100 list of priority footpaths.

“In this day and age, we’ve got to make sure things are accessible,” said Cr Ben Taylor.

“People need to move around, they need to access places and it shouldn’t just be hop in the car and drive 500 metres.”

 

Waste strategy adopted

The Waste As a Resource: Our Circular Economy Strategy 2024-2028 was adopted which aims to transition Ballarat to a circular economy.

The document is an update from the Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy 2018-2022 and looks at all the municipality’s waste service offerings, reduction and diversion targets, waste education, litter and illegal dumping.

The document sets a target to reduce kerbside waste generation for every person in Ballarat by 15 per cent between 2020 and 2030 and to increase circular economy initiatives by 20 per cent each year to achieve a circular Ballarat by 2050.

“It’s a really important topic and one I think we should be talking about,” said Cr Samantha McIntosh.

“It is so important that we change the conversation and this comes right from the top.”

 

Grants overview

The annual partnerships and grants report for last financial year was received, indicating 91 community groups and organisations received more than $1.8 million.

Strategic Partnerships Grants totalled just under $500,000 and were paid to seven organisations, nearly $1 million in City Partnerships Grants were paid to 13 organisations, 58 community groups shared nearly $300,000 in Community Impact Grants, and 13 organisations received tourism events grants totalling more than $150,000.

“They really do make a difference on the ground funding things,” said Cr Tracy Hargreaves.

“Sports jerseys and equipment, and those kind of things, really do make a difference and help our community.”

 

Road discontinuance to go ahead

The process of discontinuance of a portion of government road adjacent to the Buninyong General Cemetery will continue.

During a four-week consultation period, six submissions were received in support of the proposal and one against the proposal.

Submissions supporting the proposal said the road discontinuance will allow the cemetery to grow, promoting its longevity.

The submission against the proposal was an adjoining neighbour who said it may affect the functionality of their land.

“It’s so that the cemetery can have a way forward, a future, so that they can get on with their planning and support the community,” said Cr Taylor.

 

Support for energy network

From this year’s budget, $30,000 will be allocated towards the Committee for Ballarat’s energy network.

The committee is aiming to create a community owned energy network which can power a regional city of more than 100,000 people with locally generated renewable power.

“It is certainly ambitious, and we don’t know if it can be achieved,” said Cr Belinda Coates.

“Because it is so much in line with our ambition as a whole city to become net zero by 2030, and that’s an agreed upon target that council has undertaken… it would be remiss of us not to back that one.”

 

Work on hub continues

AW Nicholson has been awarded the construction tender for the Sebastopol Community Hub located on Vickers Street.

The hub is designed to cater for the area’s growing population and provide opportunities for community groups to meet.

The tender includes the construction of a main hall, three meeting rooms, three 22-place kindergarten rooms, two maternal and child health consulting rooms, amenities, onsite car parking, and related infrastructure.

 

Landfill tender awarded

Stage two, part B of Ballarat Regional Landfill construction works will be carried out by Goldsmith Civil and Environmental.

Contract works are expected to begin in October and constriction will start in January 2025.

Stage two works include re-grading existing soil cover over waste to an evenly graded free draining surface, the construction of capping layers, the tie in of capping layers to the existing stage one evapotranspiration cap, the tie in of geosynthetics to existing liners, and re-grading and reinstating existing drains along the east and west side of the cap.