Mall can’t have it all – City of Ballarat council meeting

DIVERSE opinions in the wider community on the way forward for the Bridge Mall redevelopment were reflected by City of Ballarat councillors at their regular meeting on Wednesday, 24 March.

The main battle on the cards related to a plan to reintroduce traffic to Bridge Mall. All agreed something needed to be done to improve the space, what the something should be was less clear.

“We’ve got to get on with this and eastbound is the option,” said Cr Ben Taylor.

“Out of all the options it provides the best opportunity for the city and also the opportunity for people when coming to Ballarat knowing they will here… loud and clear the Bridge Mall is a destination they need to go to, like Armstrong Street is now.

“We had a council election, and I don’t know about you, but I was not getting the phone ringing off the hook saying keep the Bridge Mall Closed. What I heard clearly was ‘do something’.”

The proposal before councilors was to back a plan formed by design firm Hassell for one-way eastbound traffic through Bridge Mall, part of a $15 million plan to overhaul the area.

Municipal director of development and growth Natalie Robertson said feedback from over 1000 “touch points” on the plan had not produced a definitive option.

“It is very difficult to come to a point where we see there is a majority of one preference to another,” she said.

“The responses are so many and varied that when the data came back it was essentially to say that we cannot land on one… in context to any other opportunity, including people saying they didn’t want the mall opened up at all to traffic.”

Cr Mark Harris spoke against the plan, expressing disappointment around the lack of other options put up for consideration.

He also rejected the idea that the rejuvenation of Armstrong Street was an example of how Bridge Mall might work.

“Armstrong Street was going to happen regardless of what council did or not,” he said. “People want to dine out. That was where things were happening. I’m sure we contributed to it but, nor were we the catalyst.

“I really don’t think any amount of programming is going to save Bridge Street with the plan that is here in front of us. I am deeply concerned that the amount of money that we’re spending won’t deliver us an outcome we’ll be proud of.”

Cr Amy Johnson said she wasn’t sure the Mall should reopen to cars, but if it did it should have westbound flow.

“It’s a much nicer entry from Melbourne. Currently cars coming from that Victoria Street entrance drive past Little Bridge Street, which isn’t always the nicest entry to the city,” she said.

“I agree with Cr Harris that it would have been good to have a few options, and in its current form I simply can’t support this direction.”

After over an hour of debate and discussion the vote was carried four to three in favour of eastbound traffic from Sturt Street, with Cr Taylor, Cr Des Hudson, Cr Peter Eddy and mayor Cr Daniel Moloney in support and Cr Harris, Cr Johnson and Cr Belinda Coates against.

Cr Tracy Hargraves declared a conflict of interest over the issue and was not present in the chamber for the discussion, and Cr Samantha McIntosh was absent from the meeting.

Carbon target set

THE City of Ballarat has set a target of zero net carbon emissions by 2030.

While the proposal originally put before councilors was about “setting aspirational targets”, Cr Coates found support for an amended motion locking in a firm goal and timeframe.

Preceding the discussion, several submissions from the community were read out in the chamber urging councilors to take action on the issue.

“It’s been really well put by the community members, the reason why we would support that and why as council we would add in a specific support for zero emission target,” Cr Coates said.

“It’s part of our leadership. I’m very proud that the City of Ballarat has stepped up to become a leader.

“We’ve seen some big business moving already in this direction. Mars and McCains are the big examples locally who are shifting to have ambitious targets on the national scale.”

Cr Johnson also backed the plan for zero net carbon emissions from the City of Ballarat by 2030.

“It’s one of the most important things we’ll do as councilors… in regard to taking action on climate change and reducing our carbon emissions,” she said.

In asking a question about how the municipality would measure the effectiveness of reaching the target, Cr Harris said it could be possible to go further.

“It’s an aspirational target which I think we possibly may need to do better than that,” he said. “Zero emissions in some circumstances may be fairly lean.”

The motion passed with full support.