Council updated on progress of Ballarat Growth Areas rezoning

City of Ballarat Councillors received an update on the progress of rezoning the proposed growth areas to Urban Growth Zone at Wednesday night’s Council meeting.

At the February Council meeting it was resolved to support the rezoning of three new growth areas in Ballarat, known as the Northern, the Western and the North-Western growth areas.

This resolution of Council also sought to receive quarterly progress updates on the rezoning of land to Urban Growth Zone and a timeframe for the Growth Areas Framework Plan.

The update to Councillors also advised of the City of Ballarat’s next steps in the rezoning of the proposed growth areas. A project plan and indicative timeframe will be presented to Council around the pathway and sequencing of the rezoning at the next update.

The City of Ballarat has applied for a Streamlining for Growth grant from the Victorian Planning Authority to undertake the Growth Areas Framework Plan for the Western and North-Western growth areas. If successful, this grant will aid the City of Ballarat in resourcing to complete the complex strategic planning project.  

The Growth Areas Framework Plan will inform high level infrastructure requirements and sequencing of future precinct structure plan preparation and implementation to manage the staging of land development within the Western and North-Western growth areas in conjunction with the existing Ballarat West Growth area.

The City of Ballarat is staging the delivery of these large areas of residential growth to ensure that the developments can be aligned to environmental principles, and the planning of future community infrastructure that will support these well planned and sustainable communities.

The City of Ballarat Council Plan 2021-2025 identifies a city that fosters sustainable growth and a city that conserves and enhances our natural and built assets as two of the organisation’s key goals.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney said sustainably developing the city to manage growth is of utmost importance.

“The decision to rezone the growth areas of Ballarat is one of the biggest of my term and as Councillors to be updated on the progress is vital,” he said.

“This is a decision that affects every Ballarat resident, this is a decision that affects how we live, where we live, and how we move around our city. There's barely an aspect of our future lives in this city that isn't affected by this decision so it’s important that we are all kept informed of the progress.

"Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

“This rezoning would ensure that the city is able to accommodate the anticipated population growth to 185,000 people by 2041.”