City of Ballarat welcomes State budget funding for key regional projects

The Mayor of the City of Ballarat has welcomed commitments in Tuesday’s State budget of money for a variety of key projects for the region.

Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the community was a big winner with key election commitments being honoured.

“The City of Ballarat thanks the State Government for fulfilling election commitments and funding these key projects which will have sweeping benefits for our community and the broader region,” he said.  

“I’d particularly like to thank local MPs Juliana Addison, Michaela Settle and Martha Haylett for their work in ensuring these projects have been included.

“We are excited to see items such as the redevelopment of Sebastopol’s Marty Busch Reserve, implementation of the Brown Hill Reserve Master Plan, the Continuous Voices Memorial and the Central Goldfields UNESCO World Heritage nomination – all these projects have strong local significance for the community and are projects that we have advocated for as an organisation in the lead up to the State Election.”

Highlights for Ballarat in the 2023/24 State budget are:

• $50 million for the Ballarat Station accessibility and safety upgrade
• $8.6 million for Woodmans Hill Secondary College upgrades in Ballarat East  
• $8.4 million for Marty Busch Reserve Master Plan
• $6 million for Stage 2 works at Federation TAFE
• $3.8 million for Championing Victoria’s outstanding heritage (including the Central Goldfields UNESCO World Heritage joint bid involving 13 councils across the region)
• $1 million for Brown Hill Recreation Reserve Master Plan
• $500,000 towards the Continuous Voices Memorial
• A new PET scanner at Ballarat Base Hospital

The City of Ballarat will continue to work with the State Government in the lead up to the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Cr Hudson said the Ballarat Station budget allocation was one of many exciting projects related to the enduring legacy of the Games.

“It is crucial we see long-term legacy across our housing, sporting and transport infrastructure, as well as a strong cultural legacy, increased social inclusivity and a boost for our visitor economy,” he said.

“We are currently in the midst of delivering the city’s most significant capital works plan ever. Many of the projects we are currently delivering or about to deliver have been on our books for many years. Most of these projects are not possible without support from all levels of government as we all work on Delivering a Better Ballarat.”