City of Ballarat Council Services – what is and isn’t open under eased restrictions?

Under the eased COVID restrictions for regional Victoria, some City of Ballarat services and facilities will be able to reopen on Friday 4 June while others will not. 

The Town Hall, including the Ballarat Information Centre, with limited staff will reopen at 8.30am on Friday. 

The Phoenix Building, with limited Customer Experience, Regulatory Services and Home and Community Care staff will also be able to reopen.    

Ballarat Libraries will be able to open again but patrons will be capped to 50 people and with a concierge in place. All Ballarat Libraries will offer The Book Tailor service and library patrons can complete an online form and staff will then select library material for them based on their preferences. The items are then available through Click and Collect procedures during opening hours.   

The eased restrictions in regional areas will still impact several council services and the following facilities and services remain closed:   

• Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre   
• Outdoor pools   
• Art Gallery of Ballarat   
• Ballarat Mining Exchange   
• Eureka Centre   
• Her Majesty’s Ballarat   
• Civic Hall   

The following services and facilities remain open as essential services:   

• Operations Depot   
• Ballarat Transfer Station   
• Ballarat Botanical Gardens, playgrounds, off-leash dog parks, skateparks    
• Childcare, kindergarten, Maternal and Child Health Services and childhood immunisation services via appointment, Parent Place (online only) 
• Ageing Well (limited service)   
• Meals on Wheels   
• Animal Shelter by appointment only    
• School crossings   
• All remaining services, which are working remotely.   

You can also view the latest updated information on our website www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/whats-open-and-whats-closed 

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney, said while council cannot open all facilities under the eased restrictions, now is great time to support businesses in Ballarat that are open.  

“As of tomorrow morning, we will see a great number of Ballarat businesses able to open their doors, even if some council services are unable too,” he said. 

“I urge everyone to get out and support our local business community as much as we can while staying COVID safe. Grab that takeaway coffee or lunch and get out and enjoy our beautiful city.” 

A reminder that face masks need to be always carried and must be worn indoors (except at home or if an exception applies) and must be worn outdoors, where 1.5m physical distancing cannot be maintained from other people.  

City of Ballarat CEO, Evan King, reiterated the best way to protect our community is to get vaccinated, keep our distance, wear masks, and use QR codes or manual check in when we do visit businesses.  

“As our city can begin to open again, it’s more important than ever that those who are eligible get their vaccine as soon as they can,” he said.  

“All of us can all do our part to stay safe by following the guidelines from the State Government and being kind to one another by helping to protect our city. 

“We’ve had reports that some residents are attending the Lucas Community Hub for COVID testing. While this was a site for testing during 2020, this is no longer one of the designated testing sites.” 

For a list of dedicated COVID-19 testing sites in Ballarat, visit www.bhs.org.au/news-and-events/covid-19-information/testing-for-covid-19/ 

Ballarat’s COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic is located at the Mercure Hotel and Conference Centre, 613 Main Road Golden Point, with bookings and/or walk-ins available seven days a week. 

Bookings for the can be made by calling the Victorian Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398. 

“As we said yesterday, while the easing of restrictions in regional Victoria is welcomed news, we know that ongoing lockdown in Melbourne has a flow-on affect to businesses in Ballarat, particularly with the Queen’s Birthday long weekend coming up,” Cr Moloney said. 

“This is a really tough time for everyone in our community. Please look after one another and I urge those that are struggling to reach out, there are a lot of services available to help in these tough times.” 

If you or anyone you know needs help: 

• Lifeline on 13 11 14 
• beyondblue on 1300 224 636 
• Partners in Wellbeing Helpline (for businesses) on 1300 375 330 
• MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978 
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 
• Headspace on 1800 650 890 
• QLife on 1800 184 527 
• Parentline on 13 22 89 

For the latest on restrictions across the state, visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covidsafe-settings