Media Response |

- City of Ballarat Director of Infrastructure and Environment Terry Demeo

The St Paul’s Way site, formerly used by the Education Department, was rezoned to facilitate the current approved development.

The process adopted was a Planning Scheme rezoning/amendment, combined with the specific planning permit detailing the apartment building and townhouse development which was subject to a detailed public exhibition process, with a number of submissions received.

Council ultimately resolved to have the matter referred to an Independent Panel appointed by the Planning Minister pursuant to the Planning and Environment Act.

The panel appointed a skilled, independent panel to review the matter and deal with all submissions received.

During the hearing, the site’s history and the potential for it to have been one of the sites for a monster rally ahead of the Eureka Stockade event was clearly articulated and understood by the panel.

At no point was there any evidence produced or submissions made in relation to any archaeological concerns associated with the site.

The site has been the subject of significant disturbance as part of its use as an education establishment and education office, and there has not been a formal requirement that the project should be the subject of an in-depth review for any archaeological investigation.