News Alert |

Regional Victorian growth and population trends were some of the key focuses of the City of Ballarat’s Building Ballarat forum held recently.

About 50 people involved in the building construction industry, including from Melbourne, attended to hear from Victorian Planning Authority Regional Victoria Executive Director Brett Davis.

Mr Davis said he believed Ballarat was tracking very positively in terms of growth profile, with Council’s expectations of population growth proving very accurate.

A property market discussion was then led by Adrian Doyle of Leader Property Group, David Wright of Colliers International and Matt McCabe from the NAB Business and Agribusiness group.

Ballarat’s property market was also seen to be tracking at a steady rate, with no indication of the price declines being experienced in metropolitan markets.

Infill development was also discussed as the best way forward for Ballarat’s CBD.

Banking sector changes after the Banking Royal Commission were also discussed, with no major concerns seen for the Ballarat property market.

While it was acknowledged vacant CBD retail spaces are higher than the community would like, it was also recognised the City of Ballarat’s CBD Strategy is working hard to activate those spaces.

City of Ballarat Development and Planning Director Angelique Lush said the discussion was led by people in the building construction industry, not Council.

“The Building Ballarat forum is an opportunity for the building and development industry in Ballarat to meet with Council. We want to listen and hear industry concerns and issues and work with the sector to develop positive relationships and ways forward for the betterment of Ballarat,” Ms Lush said.

“This is the first Building Ballarat forum for 2019 and feedback received so far has been very positive in the content delivered and discussion around the room,”

The quarterly Building Ballarat forums are open to businesses and individuals in the building, construction, and development industry in Ballarat.

For more information, email economicdevelopment [at] ballarat.vic.gov.au