Community consultation commenced in 2024 to review and provide feedback on how Ballarat's industrial and commercial areas are developed as the city grows.
The community that engaged, provided their feedback about various aspects of the proposed strategy.
Key themes from the consultation included:
- The suitability of certain sites that were initially identified.
- Adequate and appropriate sewerage and water services
- Individual requests to rezone sites identified in the initial draft strategy.
As such, this feedback has been considered and reviewed to address these key themes in the next version of the draft Industrial Land Strategy.
Strategic work will now be undertaken to develop content to include in the next iteration of the strategy, and the second stage of the consultation will open next year to obtain additional submissions from businesses, community members and other stakeholders, to help shape the strategy.
City of Ballarat Director Development and Growth, Natalie Robertson said Ballarat needs to allow for more industrial land uses and reevaluate where some currently are.
"It's so important that we listen and hear our community's input and work together to assess these with other relevant stakeholders, such as businesses and other government agencies," she said.
"Together, this strategic work will inform and guide future planning and investment decisions in our city."
The full consultation report on the first round of engagement can be read on the MySay website.
People can register their interest in the strategy and be the first to hear about the next stage of consultation, by signing up to receive email updates on the MySay website.
