Welcome

Welcome to Ballarat East Network (BE Net). This space is to share information about happenings in Ballarat East, and to support a vision for our past, and our personality, to inform our sustainable and charming future.

Please subscribe at left (all welcome), and contribute by email to info@ballarateast.net (include your name, address, email and mobile so that we can talk to you before we post your information).

In the recent past there are many residents who are really concerned about developments in this area and fear an erosion of this area’s anarchic charm and leafy visage. We are by measures green, have a forest (Canadian State Forest), windy hills and paths and streets, and an acceptance of difference, every house is different to the next, every street is different to the next, every vista is different to the next.

In the distant past, Ballarat East once had our own Town Hall, our own Fire Station, our own library, our own train station, a number of Avenues of Honour, and our own Town Hall gardens. None of these exist in the way they were originally intended. It was not a coup or a take-over, just a quietly steady passage of time that eroded our facilities and left us vulnerable to those who would pursue a state of concrete jungle.

This space will be moderated by a small group, and contributed to by you the fabulous residents of Ballarat East. Positive contributions, valid questions, access to information and east discoveries are the order of the day, the wider world is welcomed to observe, however negative comments, swearing and unjustified claims will not be published.

We seek to:

• be vigilant about proposed developments in Ballarat East and support the community to make comment and be involved in their democratic practices to shape this area respectfully
• encourage the development of interesting, innovative, sustainable design that reflects our neighborhood character and reflects best practice in building development
• support the City of Ballarat Councilors and officers to develop neighbourhood character overlays throughout Ballarat East, that supports our community’s vision of our future
• facilitate the sharing of information to residents about the development process, including objections, VCAT and what supports might be available to them

This space will be moderated by:

• Communications – Erin McCuskey (info@ballarateast.net)
• Planning Stuff – Diane Chester (info@ballarateast.net)
• Historical – “an old eastie” (info@ballarateast.net)

Please do not use the information on this forum as legal advice, we’ll do our best to get it right but nothing replaces assuring yourself, both of the actual plans (make up your own mind), and of a documents accuracy. Where possible we will have links to government sites for information to ensure currency.