Ballarat City Council adopts housing strategy, aiming to accommodate 55,000+ new residents over years.
Ballarat City Council adopted a Housing Strategy and Growth Areas Framework Plan that aims to accommodate over 55,000 new residents in the city over the next years. The council discussed the importance of implementing these strategies into the Ballarat Planning Scheme to address the challenges and opportunities arising from Ballarat's population and housing growth. Ballarat's Mayor, Cr Des Hudson, emphasized the significance of these documents in planning the city's growth and handling the housing crisis by providing strategic direction to introduce planning tools to deliver more housing in established areas with existing infrastructure, transport, and facilities. The councillors also expressed concerns about the lack of infrastructure funding and government spending on key projects in the region and emphasized the need for adequate transportation solutions, like buses, to accommodate the growing population.