The Year That Was by CEO Evan King

December is always an opportunity to pause and reflect on the year that was. Looking back, how will 2021 be remembered? 

We faced another year of challenges brought by COVID-19. Despite disruptions and unprecedented social and economic impact for many, as an organisation we have been determined to get on and deliver for our community.

I am extremely proud of the work that has been achieved this year and the strong decisions made by Council.

Key components of the $15 million Bakery Hill Urban Renewal Plan were endorsed at the March Council meeting and now after lengthy consultation including consideration of ideas, perspectives and expectations from across the Ballarat community, and comprehensive design considerations and analysis, the project is ready to move into the next exciting phase of development.

Likewise, the decision in June to commit to a new governance model and north-south extension of the Ballarat Airport runway, were important steps in the future of the Airport. These two changes will lay the foundations to attract further investment in the Airport and create more revenue and jobs at this critical facility for the city and the region.

We’re continuing strategic planning work to give clarity around our planning scheme, including further development on our housing strategy, industrial land strategy and further studies on height in the CBD.

This work is supporting our growth planning for our next two expansion areas in the north and west of the municipality, while balancing greenfield with infill continues to be a priority.

We want to see the right type of residential infill development accelerated. This was highlighted in October with Council approving a planning permit for a significant housing development on the former Loreto College site in Lyons Street North.

Council’s Community and Business Support Package provided support for local industry in the wake of the economic shock from coronavirus.

To date 464 local businesses and wider community groups have accessed the funding stream.

And while on the topic of pandemic I’d like to once again thank everyone for doing the right thing and following the Chief Health Officer’s advice throughout the year. 

To know our community was banding together and giving itself the best protection, and a way out of restrictions, made me proud.

Early in 2021 we spent a lot of time developing the Council Plan and a range of key supporting documents. Widespread community consultation, including deliberative engagement were features of our approach. 

The community told us how they want the city to develop in the next decade, and we listened. 

This included a community-driven net zero emissions plan for transition to a carbon neutral, more sustainable municipality by 2030.

Council made great inroads in March by supporting that aspirational target of net zero emissions and signing onto the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO) power purchase agreement in May.

In the next 12 months we’re going to have the opportunity to vote at Federal and State elections, so we’ve invested an enormous amount of time in developing a really concise advocacy program that ranks our projects into priority tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3.

We’ve done a lot of work in 2021 preparing those projects to ensure they are well thought out, well planned and will make a real difference to our city.

We want to create a Circular Economy Precinct (CEP) at the Ballarat West Employment Zone. The CEP will attract investment from businesses wanting to co-locate and take advantage of the foundational infrastructure we plan for the site, including a Materials Recovery Facility. A facility of this kind will reduce the number of recyclables going into landfill and support the local re-manufacture of recyclables into new products.   

We want to build the next stage of Ballarat Link Road to continue connecting the rapidly growing industrial and residential growth zones in Ballarat’s west with other parts of the region. Duplication of Dyson Drive is a critical next step, which will reduce congestion and travel times for residents in the west, improve safety and regional connections.

And we want to build a new, purpose-built, fully-compliant regional animal facility to ensure the animals in our care are housed appropriately, rather than in an old abattoir as they are now. If we are successful in securing funding it will be the single biggest improvement to animal welfare in our region in a century. It’s time.

I’m very much looking forward to the opportunities that dual elections in 2022 will bring.

We’ve made great progress in 2021. The Way Forward is not just our organisational cultural program, but the ethos of everything – to be one organisation for whole of community, for whole of life.

We’ve worked to restore community faith and re-build a thriving organisation. Our Council has set lofty goals for the year ahead and we’ll continue to focus on delivering for our community.

- Evan King, Chief Executive Officer, City of Ballarat