Ballarat East Council Report

BE NET was alerted to this report by Eric Braslis – Director of Growth & Development City of Ballarat.

Unfortunately we are incorrectly referred to as BEN (Sorry BEN – Ballarat Environment Network), our acronym is BE Net. Small fish really though in terms of the report.

The report is to be presented to the next Council Meeting – June 13th and is partially quoted here from the Public Agenda for that meeting which you can find on the City of Ballarat website – here – http://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/about-council/council-meetings-agendas/agendas,-minutes-and-reports/council-agenda-minutes-2012.aspx

and we quote:

We note the final recommendations are:

RECOMMENDATION
Council resolves to:
1. Note the report, highlighting the issues raised at the recent Ballarat East community meeting.
2. Inform the Ballarat East Network of the proposed changes to the administration of the Statutory Planning process including proposed publishing of application documentation on Council’s website.
3. Acknowledge that additional strategic work is required to manage development along the fringes of Ballarat’s CDB (sic), including the Ballarat East area, and that such work is considered in the preparation of a future Council Plans and budget processes.

finish quote…

While needing to take some time to read the report another fifty times before we have an opinion, it feels a little disappointing. All that hard work for a small report, recommending not much and expecting less. Great, there have been some very small changes made to the planning process, great the issues will be noted, however there is no mention of the green belt to the city’s east, AND there is a comment that the east is like any other area of Ballarat, and NO significant nod to the character of this wonderful place.

I think some emergency training for our overworked Planning Department is in order, starting with definitions of Neighbourhood Character. And then straight to the State Gov Planning Department for some serious rejigging in favour of character – seriously was there ever any worse State planners? (Don’t answer that…) Keep an eye out for the changes currently being mooted for the State Planning Policy which encourages some rubber stamping by councils and not much more.

Those of you who are keen please read the report and make comment below, your comments will be taken into account when we are developing our response.

Those of you who need to see the whites of their eyes come to the next council meeting for some good stare down, Ballarat Town Hall Wednesday June 13th 7pm. Make sure if you wish to speak to the report that you notify City Governance on 03 5320 5535 or email governance@ballarat.vic.gov.au

So over two years to get the council to the point where they say we might do something if we can find some money, but it will take two years… I hear the rust agrowing in the old Ballarat East style shed… oh and still no answers to the many questions posed at the Meeting…. shouldn’t have called it Q&A, just Q.