Suggestions for sale yards site wanted

A BACKGROUND analysis paper on stage three of the La Trobe Street Saleyards Urban Renewal Precinct is available online for community comment.

The sale yards site is crown land which is managed by the State government said Terry Natt, Principle Planner Strategic Projects with City of Ballarat.

“The land was granted to City of Ballarat in 1886 for use as cattle yards, so it requires an act of parliament to change the title of that land from a cattle yard to another public use under the Crown Land Reserve Act,” Mr Natt said.

“There are a number of public uses under the act which are protected by a Queen’s Caveat on the title that require an act of parliament to remove, which we want to have a serious look at.”

Mr Natt, the town planner overseeing the saleyards renewal project, said council sees opportunities for the site ranging from open space, education uses, health services, arts, drainage, community gardens and environmental uses or most importantly a mix of them.

“What we have now is a site, which is for all intents and purposes vacant, in almost the geographic centre of the city, adjacent to one of the best urban parks you will ever see in Australia, with some interesting stuff around it,” he said. “It’s a cracker of an opportunity.

“The site itself is 13 hectares, so there is no reason we couldn’t consider a whole suite of uses.”

The crown land constraint also allows council to look at interim use of the land for a maximum of 10 years.

“If council wants to change the title of the land from the existing cattle yard use to a public use, this will take some time, maybe a couple of years for the necessary act through parliament,” Mr Natt said.

Mr Natt said while considering future use of the site certain constraints need to be considered such as heritage and contamination.

“There are 400,000 bluestone pitchers on the site and a lot of well used timber animal pens, what do we keep?” he queries.

“As for contamination there is 150 years of bovine and ovine urine on the land.”

If the sale yard site itself was to be considered for residential or commercial use, as distinct from public use, the State government would be required to put it up for sale Mr Natt added.

Council will undertake targeted consultations with stakeholders such as business owners, community groups, State authorities and medical and educational institutions in tandem with the community feedback.

Once completed the information will form the basis of a draft framework plan.

The background analysis paper is available at mysay.ballarat.vic.gov.au/latrobe-saleyards.