THE Committee for Ballarat will take the next step in developing its long-term concept plan for the region when it hosts a members’ forum later this month.<\/p>\n
Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny will deliver the keynote address, with other speakers to include recently-appointed Commissioner of Economic Growth Victoria and Better Regulation Victoria, Katrina McKenzie.<\/p>\n
It will take place at The Goods Shed from 12.15pm to 5.30pm on Thursday 23 October.<\/p>\n
The event is part of the committee’s work on Vision 2050, a project announced earlier this year with the aim of establishing a shared vision for what Ballarat and the region could and should look like in 2050.<\/p>\n
Committee CEO Michael Poulton said it was hoped to have a draft version available for members at the end of November and a final vision by the start of next year.<\/p>\n
“The Committee for Ballarat’s mantra is always about thinking ahead, what the long-term view of the region is,” Mr Poulton said.<\/p>\n
He said the City of Ballarat had previously prepared a 2040 vision and the committee itself had prepared a similar outline for 2030.<\/p>\n
“So we’ve always had this 20 to 25-year lens at least underpinning the work that we do,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Poulton said committee members and stakeholders were contributing thoughts and ideas to the process, while both the State and Federal governments were key players through their respective regional development bodies.<\/p>\n
The State Government has already adopted a similar 2050 vision called Plan for Victoria, which describes aspirations for the entire state.<\/p>\n
As part of that plan, a Planning Policy Framework is being implemented in Victorian planning systems as a blueprint for Victoria’s planning schemes, containing policies and provisions that will influence development and land use across the state.<\/p>\n
Mr Poulton said that, given that the committee is non-partisan and non-political, it was encouraging to see a government taking a longer-term view rather than just focusing on the next election cycle.<\/p>\n
He said the final vision would use members’ voices to “articulate the type of community that we would see, in 2050, that would reflect this notion of a vibrant, prosperous, inclusive, connected community.”<\/p>\n
“Our vision for 2050 is really an articulation of the heart and soul of Ballarat and our region with a 25-year lens,” Mr Poulton said.<\/p>\n
The Committee for Ballarat draws its membership from virtually every sector and level of the local economy, from large employers to sole traders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Committee for Ballarat will take the next step in developing its long-term concept plan for the region when it hosts a members’ forum later this month. Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny will deliver the keynote address, with other speakers to include recently-appointed Commissioner of Economic Growth Victoria and Better Regulation Victoria, Katrina McKenzie. It […]<\/p>\n