Ballarat Residents and Ratepayers Association

30/10/2026

Some of our BR&R members suggested posting this along with a couple of questions. 1. Why do residents think Ballarat's crime rate is so high? 2. Is enough being done to tackle it? Read our summary here or subscribers to The Courier via the link below. Our thanks to The Courier for the article.

Ballarat police have confiscated more than 60 fi****ms, am******on, fi***rm parts and imitation weapons during a major enforcement operation targeting illegal gun possession across the region.

The operation, conducted as part of a nationwide crackdown on illicit fi****ms, involved compliance checks on people subject to Fi***rm Prohibition Orders (FPOs), registered fi***rm owners and fi****ms dealers. Local specialist police units carried out dozens of inspections and several search warrants.

A total of 64 fi****ms were seized in Ballarat, accounting for more than half of all fi****ms recovered across Victoria during the week-long operation. Police also seized am******on, fi***rm components and imitation fi****ms.

Detective Senior Sergeant Shaun Bingham said the result would help reduce the risk of serious and violent crime by removing dangerous weapons from the community. He said police would continue targeting illicit fi****ms and holding offenders accountable. Five people were arrested and charged during the operation. Among them was a 23-year-old Wendouree man facing multiple fi***rm and drug-related charges, including allegedly possessing an unregistered fi***rm and an imitation fi***rm while prohibited from doing so.

Police also discovered an explosive substance at a Wendouree property, prompting the attendance of the Bomb Response Unit to safely manage the situation. A 57-year-old man was charged with offences relating to the explosive substance and cannabis possession.

Across Victoria, the operation resulted in 115 fi****ms, 166 fi***rm parts and 10 imitation fi****ms being seized, with 50 arrests made and 243 charges laid.

Police are encouraging anyone with information about the illegal use of fi****ms to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or http://www.crimestoppersvic.com.au/

More than 60 guns and explosives seized in Ballarat police blitz.

30/10/2026

More than $2 million in pedestrian safety upgrades coming to Ballarat

🚸 More than $2 million in pedestrian safety upgrades coming to Ballarat

Pedestrian and cyclist safety is set to be greatly enhanced across Ballarat after the City of Ballarat secured more than $2 million in Victorian Government funding through the Safe Local Roads and Streets Program.

The funding will deliver a range of projects across the municipality aimed at improving safety for people walking, riding and travelling on local roads and shared paths.

The projects include:

🚶🏻 Upgrading all 10 road crossings along the six-kilometre Steve Moneghetti Track around Lake Wendouree to raised shared user path crossings, giving pedestrians and cyclists right-of way-over vehicles.

🚶🏻 Upgrading the existing pedestrian crossing on Wendouree Parade near Nazareth House to a raised crossing designed to slow traffic and improve safety at one of the lake's busiest pedestrian locations.

🚶🏻 New shared user path crossings along the Canadian Creek Trail.

🚶🏻 A range of safety improvements on Vickers Street, including speed limit reduction, a raised pedestrian crossing and additional measures near the Beverin Street intersection.

🚶🏻 New raised pedestrian crossings at the north, south, and west entries to the roundabout at the intersection of Dana Street and Grenville Street.

The Safe Local Roads and Streets Program is a partnership between the Victorian Government's Department of Transport and Planning and the Transport Accident Commission, developed to support the development and delivery of road safety infrastructure projects on local roads.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the funding would enable the infrastructure team to accelerate important safety projects that had already been planned across the municipality.

To view the interactive map of locations, visit https://bit.ly/4stl9V3

29/10/2026

💬 Golden Point, have your say next week!

Come along to the Let’s Chat Councillor Roadshow with Cr Tess Morgan and discuss local services, community priorities and ideas for the future.

📅 Thursday 5 November | 4pm-6pm
📍 Llanberris Reserve Pavilion

Free, informal and no bookings required.

29/10/2026

28/10/2026

Llanberris Reserve to become community recreation space.

Ballarat's historic Llanberris Athletics Reserve will be opened for everyday community use after the City of Ballarat endorsed a transition plan to retire the venue as a formal athletics competition facility.

Following the opening of the new Ballarat Regional Athletics Centre, athletics operations will move to the new precinct, ending Llanberris Reserve's role as Ballarat's primary athletics venue after more than 65 years. Community consultation attracted 882 submissions, with almost all respondents supporting the site's retention as a public recreation area rather than commercial development. Under a two-year transition plan funded through the 2026-27 council budget:

Athletics-specific equipment, including the discus cage, pole vault and high jump facilities, steeplechase hurdles and long jump pits, will be removed.
The synthetic running track will remain open for casual walking, jogging and recreation.
The track will no longer be maintained to competition standards.
Formal athletics bookings will cease.

Council will investigate improved public access, new signage and the relocation of the existing grandstand. Councillors supported public access but stressed the need for ongoing safety measures. Concerns were raised about security and accessibility during darker hours, prompting council officers to trial winter evening track lighting and review broader safety measures, including passive surveillance. Councillors highlighted the overwhelming public support for retaining the reserve as an accessible community asset. They said the outcome demonstrated effective community engagement, with public feedback directly influencing the decision. Additional improvements may be considered over the next two to four years, subject to a master plan and future funding approvals. Potential additions include:

A family playground
Barbecue and picnic facilities
Additional seating
Public art celebrating the reserve's athletics history

Council is also considering future community use of the Stuart Hunter Pavilion, with a community tenant expected to be secured by early 2027.

In summary: Llanberris Reserve will shift from a dedicated athletics venue to an open public recreation space, preserving community access while maintaining its sporting heritage and allowing for future family-friendly upgrades. Subscribers to The Courier can read the full story via the link below.

The track's safe; the council endorses a short-term transition plan.

28/10/2026

We are aware that this has been on our council's wish list for some time now. It would be of interest to hear from all the State election candidates as to whether they would also support this project.

The Liberal-National Coalition has pledged to duplicate Dyson Drive from two lanes to four and install traffic lights at key intersections if it wins next month’s Victorian election, aiming to reduce growing traffic congestion in Ballarat’s west.

More than 10,000 vehicles use Dyson Drive each day between Remembrance Drive and Ballarat-Carngham Road, with heavy delays regularly occurring during peak commuting and school traffic periods. The Opposition says rapid residential and employment growth in suburbs such as Lucas has placed significant pressure on the road network.

Opposition leader Jess Wilson announced the proposal in Lucas, arguing the upgrade is needed to keep pace with population growth and improve travel times. The project forms part of the broader Ballarat Link Road vision, a long-term council priority that would eventually connect the Western Highway with the Midland Highway via a new arterial corridor.

However, local Labor MP Martha Haylett criticised the plan, claiming that duplicating Dyson Drive alone would simply shift congestion to Ballarat-Carngham Road and create a new bottleneck. The Coalition has costed the project at $115.1 million, based on analysis from the Independent Parliamentary Budget Office. This is higher than the City of Ballarat’s February 2026 estimate of $88.3 million. Opposition transport infrastructure spokesman Evan Mulholland said the investment would improve connections to emerging suburbs and the Ballarat West Employment Zone, while also upgrading intersections to improve traffic flow and safety.

While the Coalition has committed to delivering the Dyson Drive duplication as an immediate priority, it has stopped short of guaranteeing funding for later stages of the full Ballarat Link Road project. Link to the story for subscribers is below with thanks to The Courier.

Can a four-lane expansion fix western Ballarat's bottleneck?

28/10/2026

Council meeting tonight and Councillors Tracey Hargreaves and Ben Taylor have both submitted a notice of motion. More reading via this link, pages 406 and 410 https://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/about-us/council-meetings/2026-agendas-and-minutes Link to watch the meeting at 6.30pm here. https://webcast.ballarat.vic.gov.au/

27/10/2026

A few people have sent this to me this morning and asked what I thought of this so this is what I think.

WHEN DOES BALLARAT COUNCIL START REPRESENTING EVERYONE ??

The City of Ballarat is asking residents to have their say on its draft LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Plan for 2027–2030 …. OK crack on.

But here’s my question. Why does one demographic need its own 4 year inclusion plan, advisory committee and dedicated celebrations, while other residents struggling with genuine disadvantage seem to receive far less attention ??

What about people with disabilities, the long-term unemployed, people struggling with social isolation, residents doing it tough in Wendouree West, people born overseas who are trying to find their feet, people struggling to feed their kids or not being able to turn on the heater at night ….. and while we’re at it, why not a month for motorsport enthusiasts, people with red hair, people that play badminton or soccer, people that like playing X-Box or any other group Council decides deserves special recognition ??

WHO DECIDES WHICH GROUPS GET THE SPOTLIGHT, AND WHICH GET LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES

I’m not arguing against treating people with respect, what I’m asking whether Council’s priorities are right. I am also all for bringing events and tourism to Ballarat that will stimulate the local economy that will bring more people here that will spend more money thus then businesses having to employ more people as a flow-on effect …… that’s not that hard is it.

But how much will this plan cost, what measurable results did the previous plan deliver and why aren’t we putting the same energy into the practical problems affecting residents across the entire city ??

INCLUSION SHOULD MEAN EVERYONE COUNTS, NOT JUST THE GROUPS COUNCIL CHOOSES TO PUT FIRST.

The 3 questions I'd put directly to Council;
What has the 2022–2026 LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Plan cost ratepayers, and what measurable outcomes did it achieve, in terms of lifting the city profile, bringing an economic benefit or something else ??
What criteria does Council use to decide which population groups receive dedicated inclusion plans, advisory committees and celebrations ??
How does Council ensure that residents experiencing disability, unemployment, poverty and social isolation receive comparable attention based on their needs ??

What do you think ??

27/10/2026

📊 A little while ago, I asked whether you'd like to see a clearer breakdown of where your rates are spent.

After raising my idea with the City of Ballarat CEO, I'm pleased to share this new infographic showing how your rates are spent across the services, facilities and infrastructure that keep Ballarat running. Check the comments for a breakdown of what is in each of the categories.

Council budgets can be complex, but understanding them shouldn't be. I hope this provides a simple, easy-to-read snapshot of where your money goes and helps encourage more people to engage in the budget conversation.

We're already starting on the new budget - come have YOUR say by checking out the MySay Ballarat website here: https://mysay.ballarat.vic.gov.au/council-budget There's also plenty more information there, including a cool video I'd encourage you to watch!

fans

26/10/2026

Ballarat men’s mental health service to close after funding shortfall

Ballarat Men’s Mental Health (BMMH), a community-based service established in 2021 to address gaps in local mental health support for men, will cease operations after failing to secure ongoing government funding.

Founded by Andrew McPherson, the service has supported around 450 men over the past five years, including direct clinical care for 350 clients. Its remaining 39 clients will continue to receive support until discharged or transferred, but the organisation will stop accepting new referrals from 26 October.

Mr McPherson said BMMH was created to reduce isolation, encourage men to seek help, lower su***de risk and improve mental health outcomes. He argued that many of the men who accessed the service would not have received care elsewhere due to barriers including cost, long waiting times, difficulty navigating the system and a reluctance among some men to seek help. The closure comes amid broader concerns about access to mental health services in Ballarat. Health leaders have previously warned that service availability is deteriorating, with Ballarat remaining the only major regional city in Victoria without an adult Mental Health and Wellbeing Local service and having one of the state’s lowest rates of mental health beds relative to population.

Mr McPherson said the factors that prompted the creation of BMMH remain unresolved and fears exist that vulnerable men could again miss out on support once the service closes.

BMMH has operated largely through community fundraising and donations, including significant contributions from local fundraising campaigns. Its long-term plan was to transition from a volunteer-led organisation to a sustainably funded mental health service, supported by evidence of its effectiveness and independent evaluation.

Despite demonstrating community need and positive outcomes, the organisation was unable to secure ongoing funding from either the Victorian or Federal governments. Mr McPherson described the outcome as disappointing and warned that, without a replacement service, the gap in mental health support for men in the Ballarat region is likely to re-emerge. Link to full story by The Courier for subscribers below.

Ballarat Men's Mental Health fails to secure government funding.