News Alert |

Did you know the City of Ballarat has released the Draft Wendouree Railway Station Precinct Master Plan for feedback?

The draft master plan, which has been developed from the 129 submissions we received during the last round of consultation, is now available to view at mysay.ballarat.vic.gov.au

The master plan identifies a number of priority opportunities, including:

Direct pedestrian access from Gregory Street West to the railway station via a new pedestrian plaza Two additional sites for car parking An upgraded bus interchange to the north of the station and a new bus interchange to the south A new proposed mixed-use activity centre which will feature a range of retail and commercial offerings Additional green space Improved pedestrian, cycle and road connections including the reopening of Gregory Street West (underway)Community members, including local businesses and Wendouree Railway Station users, are encouraged to read through the draft and tell us their thoughts. Tell me more about this project There is plenty of work currently being undertaken by a number different project leads at the Wendouree Railway Station and surrounding precinct.  The City of Ballarat is responsible for the Wendouree Station Precinct Master Plan and opening of Gregory Street West.Rail Projects Victoria is responsible for Ballarat Line Upgrade.Regional Roads Victoria are responsible for the signalisation of the Gillies Street North and Gregory Street intersection.And, VicTrack is responsible for the recently completed car park which saw an additional 200 car spaces made available at the station.

The master plan is a long-term vision for the renewal of the Wendouree Station Precinct to help ensure project coordination, to guide future decision making and support greater investment. 

The renewal of the Wendouree Station Precinct is identified as a key project in the Ballarat Strategy and assists in ensuring most of Ballarat’s residents can access key services, employment and transport within 10 minutes of where they live as.  The Council Plan also highlights Planned Population Growth as a key outcome 2017-2021 period, of which this particular master plan addresses.

The master plan is being prepared by the City of Ballarat, in partnership with the state government.

Any other information about current or future rail-related projects should be directed to the appropriate state government department or private land owner.

What community and landowner engagement has been undertaken? 

The City of Ballarat has undertaken significant community and landowner engagement during the development of the master plan including meeting directly with many landowners.  Many owners have expressed significant interest in the development potential of their land, which could be unlocked by the master plan.

The draft master plan proposes the potential use of two sites between Wendouree Station and Gregory Street West, and a portion of a property north of the station for transport purposes.  The master plan process itself doesn’t involve any acquisition of land, however, it provides guidance for how the precinct could develop over time.  Decisions on any acquisition of land would be at the discretion of the state government, and dependent on a separate process.

Timing of redevelopment of privately owned land is up to the owner regarding when they wish to redevelop their site.

The master plan does not propose to rezone any land – however, any application for a private rezoning request from a landowner would be considered against the final adopted version of the master plan. This can support landowners who wish to redevelop their land.

Improving accessibility and visibility

Improving access and visibility of Wendouree Station was highlighted as a key issue to be addressed in the first round of community consultation in early 2018.

The Wendouree Railway Station is currently surrounded by a mix of uses, including light industrial developments. The draft master plan proposes direct access from Gregory Street West and Gillies Street North and an improved entrance from Learmonth road which will significantly improve access and the prominence of Wendouree Station. 

The master plan proposes locations for two additional car parks on the southern side of the station, however, detailed design is yet to be undertaken.

What phase of the project are we at, and how much scope is there to change elements of the plan? The project is currently in a draft master plan phase and there is significant scope for revisions based on community feedback.  We’re encouraging the community to view the plan and provide their feedback via mysay.ballarat.vic.gov.au, this round of consultation is open until 5 April. The draft master plan is strongly informed by previous consultation which was undertaken at the commencement of the project in early 2018 where we received 129 responses.

The top 15 ideas for the precinct were: 1. Increased car parking and car parking improvements 2. New car parking south of the Station 3. Enhanced Station infrastructure (shelter, seating, toilets etc) 4. Pedestrian crossings across Gillies Street North 5. Access to car parking from Gregory Street West 6. Better traffic management (access and egress to station) 7. Gillies Street North intersections improvements 8. Food and drink premises within Station 9. Improve connections to green spaces 10. Bus access and bus stop improvements, and increased interchange capacity 11. Cycling infrastructure 12.  Improved signage and wayfinding  13.  Level crossing removal 14.  Bus timetable frequency improvements 15. Pedestrian overpass

Works are also currently underway on re-opening of Gregory Street West, with a completion expected later this year.

Further updates:

Many of the Wendouree Station upgrades are the State Government’s responsibility and any funding queries should be directed to the relevant agency. 

However, the proposed public realm improvements, such as street trees and pedestrian crossings, are City of Ballarat responsibility. Any council spend on Council owned assets would be subject to normal council budget processes and, wherever possible, other sources of funding would be pursued.

Wendouree Railway Station Precinct Master Plan images and renders are for discussion purposes only. An extensive concept and detailed design process would be undertaken to determine what an upgrade would actually look like as part of a staged implementation, as funds are made available.

Renders are used to assist the community to put the proposed land uses into context on the site and aid discussion. The renders also give a feel for future investment and to assist businesses with long term planning.

Wendouree Railway Station Precinct Master Plan feedback is still open. However there have been strong levels of support received so far – particularly from local residents to the south of the station and land owners in the area interested in redevelopment opportunities for their land.

Public transport funding, including railway stations, is a State Government issue. However, Council will continue to advocate for State/Federal Government funding opportunities to realise the master plan’s vision, including the proposed public realm improvements.