City of Ballarat CEO’s Operational Report

City of Ballarat Chief Executive Officer Justine Linley will present her first CEO’s Operational Report to the May 15 Ballarat City Council meeting.

Each meeting, the CEO’s Report will highlight issues and outcomes affecting the organisation’s performance.

The first report for March and April highlights key achievements, projects and events delivered, ongoing community consultation, ongoing projects, initiatives and works, and staff achievements and presentations.

Key achievements, projects and events delivered in March/April:

  • Civic Hall re-opening, stage 1 works
  • Ballarat Paralympic Sports Avenue opened at Lake Wendouree, believed to be the first regional Australian memorial honouring Paralympians
  • Harmony Fest delivered more than 40 community events
  • The 67th Ballarat Begonia Festival was delivered, with crowds of around 60,000
  • Sebastopol Library Community Hub was opened, with opening hours increasing from 15.5 hours to 40 hours each week, and average daily attendances doubling to 262 patrons
  • Public Art – Murrup Laarr opening as part of the North Gardens Sculpture Park Project
  • Community Impact Grant Program 2018/19 Round Three – $65,510 allocated to 18 community groups
  • Continuing Digital Games Development Meet Up Series attracted over 30 Ballarat game developers
  • Carbon Neutrality and 100% Renewables Action Plan adopted to guide an organisational zero emissions target by 2025
  • Youth Week 2019
  • Bushfire Recovery Centres were opened for community members impacted by the Bunkers Hill and Mount Clear fires, with staff also offering advice and assistance on all recovery aspects including water safety, waste disposal, and stock feed, and holding two community information meetings
  • Rededication of the Avenue of Honour Memorial Cairn at Weatherboard

Ongoing community consultation:

  • Draft Doug Dean Reserve Master Plan
  • Sebastopol Senior Citizens Centre building design
  • Eureka Centre and Eureka Stockade Memorial Gardens Interpretation Plan
  • Wendouree Station Precinct Master Plan
  • 16 Bridge Mall Consultation Hub for several strategic projects including the Bakery Hill and Bridge Mall Precinct Urban Renewal Plan and Better Flood Planning for Ballarat
  • Bakery Hill and Bridge Mall Precinct Urban Renewal Plan Community Working Group
  • Dowling Forest Precinct Planning Controls Review
  • Final Miners Rest Township Plan
  • Health, Knowledge and City Living Precinct Master Plan
  • Brown Hill Local Area Plan
  • Imagine Ballarat East Local Area Plan
  • Buninyong Township Plan

Ongoing projects, initiatives and works

  • Miners Rest Reserve basketball and netball court works
  • Progressing the World Heritage bid for the Central Victorian Goldfields, including meeting with Victorian Government ministers Jacinta Allan, Jaclyn Symes and Jaala Pulford
  • Design Led City, formalising the role of the newly established City Design Studio across City of Ballarat operations, particularly capital works and major projects
  • Creative City implementation
  • Compact City Housing Plan to provide guidance to achieve the city’s goal of 50 per cent infill development by 2040
  • An Affordable Housing Strategy
  • Latrobe Street Saleyards Precinct Urban Renewal Plan
  • Long Term Growth and Housing Planning Growth Investigation Areas

Staff achievements and presentations:

  • City of Ballarat Manager Strategic Planning Lisa Kendall awarded the Planning Institute of Australia Victorian Female Achiever of the Year Award
  • The City of Ballarat’s Right to the Night project won the Municipal Association of Victoria Technology Awards for Excellence Smart City Achievement of the Year
  • City of Ballarat CEO Justine Linley presented at the MAV Technology National Conference
  • City of Ballarat CEO Justine Linley was the keynote government speaker at KPMG – Local Government Transformation Series

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