Mayors Message Thursday 7 October 2021

07 October 2021 2:39pm

Well done Ballarat in responding to the call to get vaccinated during this challenging time. As of Monday this week 88.4% of our community have received their first dose and 57.4% are fully vaccinated as we all work towards protecting ourselves, our health services and those with chronic and critical medical conditions.

In another encouraging piece of news last week Ballarat reached a new milestone in the Bridge Mall Revitalisation Project. The project has now moved into an important Design Development phase that will see a diverse representation from the community working alongside architects and designers from internationally renowned firm Hassell, ensuring the voices and visions of our community are captured and integrated into the final designs.

In recent years the steady retail decline, poor transport connections, physical access difficulties and changing shopping trends have all motivated the desire to return the precinct once again to a flexible, multi-use retail destination and meeting place that is a compelling and energetic hub.

This phase of design is particularly exciting as whilst the functional elements of the Bridge Mall redesign have been completed with plans to reopen the mall to slow-moving, one-way traffic, now we will see how the community input which will help shape the look and feel of the space.

Bridge Mall is an intrinsic part of our inner city’s retail, business and community, social experience and I am confident that with the communities’ input and professional guidance of Hassell Architects we will once again create a vibrant shopping, dining, and entertainment destination for everyone.

It is two years ago to the month that Council adopted the $15 million Bakery Hill Urban Renewal Plan that the Bridge Mall project is part of. It is without doubt one of the biggest and boldest CBD re-developments ever undertaken by Council and a timely and vital part of COVID-19 recovery and instrumental in enabling the Ballarat CBD to thrive over coming decades.

Mayor Cr Daniel Moloney