Central Vic Climate Action is hosting a number of events to encourage creative action in response to the escalating environmental crisis: a parade of Red Rebels, and screening of the film How to Blow Up a Pipeline.
Red Rebels from Melbourne, Castlemaine and Ballarat will gather in Bendigo on Monday, September 25 to support Castlemaine activists attending Bendigo Magistrates Court.
Red Rebels are an international performance activist troupe dedicated to illuminating the environmental crisis and supporting groups fighting to save humanity and all species from mass extinction.
“Red symbolises the common blood we share with all species, and shows our empathy with our surroundings,” said Serena Everill from Central Vic Climate Action.
“We are on the precipice of a catastrophic climate breakdown, yet National Australia Bank continues to drive us closer to the edge by funding fossil fuel projects.”
Red Rebels are supporting Central Vic Climate Action members Bernard Tonkin, Dean Bridgfoot and Laura Levetan, who were handcuffed in Bendigo’s National Australia Bank earlier this year, for refusing to leave NAB because the bank would not rule out funding a new coal mine.
Laura said they would be representing themselves and pleading not guilty “on the basis of sudden or extraordinary emergency”.
“Show of support at the Bendigo Magistrates Court on the morning of September 25 is very welcome.”
Opening on September 28 at 7.30pm, is the environmentalist action thriller How to Blow Up a Pipeline, presented by Central Vic Climate Action, Castlemaine Theatre Royal and School Strike 4 Climate.
The story follows a group of young people in their plan to blow up an oil pipeline and explores the moral validity of extreme actions in addressing the climate crisis.
“Members of Central Vic Climate Action are wanting to stir up the conversation about how we are responding to the status quo where our leaders and financial institutions continue to actively support the fossil fuel industry, in full knowledge that they are destroying the future of our planet,” Serena said.
“We are certainly not advocating the use of violence, but we are suggesting that we all need to step up and onto the street. We will be having a Q&A and proceeds of the night will go to Castlemaine School Strike 4 Climate.
“Central Vic Climate Action group welcomes all who want to get involved in local climate action.”
Email: Centralvicclimateaction2@gmail.com or check the Theatre Royal website for film details.
A NAB spokesperson said the organisation respected the right of people to protest. “However when these activities impact the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers we will call police.”
Words & image: Contributed

Cat and art lovers alike will be heading to the Creswick Town Hall this long weekend.
The Cats Come to Creswick Art Show is on from September 29 to October 1 and is the brainchild of Sandy Campbell, board member for the town’s John Curtin Aged Care Centre and event coordinator.
While musing on a good way to raise some money for the centre, Sandy realised that cats were perfect as a central theme for an art show for several reasons.
Firstly, they are ubiquitous creatures in our lives, she says, and secondly, artist Norman Lindsay, one of the town’s most famed historic figures, simply adored the feline species. Alongside human nudes, for which he is particularly known, he painted plenty of them, Sandy says.
“Creswick is very proud of Norman Lindsay and aside from painting nudes he also painted cats. He loved cats. There’s even a book dedicated to Norman Lindsay’s cats. To have them as the theme for an art show seemed like a logical thing to me.
“Wherever you travel in the world you will always find a cat. They are so ubiquitous.”
The art show will feature works by 51 artists, many of them professional, and many from throughout Central Victoria.
Well-known for her printmaking, Loris Button, who previously taught at the Ballarat Art School, says turning her hand to depicting the cat in art has been a bit of a different experience for her as well.
Portraiture, including self-portraiture, is usually more her thing, but Loris took this opportunity to create three prints honouring her own dearly departed, much- loved house moggie. “They depict our late cat sleeping. She was 23,” says Loris.
There’s also a couple of artists from interstate, and even some from very close to home including John Curtin Aged Care’s own CEO, Steve Bruechert, who usually paints entirely different subject matter.
However, Sandy was able to convince him to turn out some feline-themed works for the cause, which is to raise money for a new automatic minibus for the centre so staff can take residents on regular outings.
“We need to get a new bus to take the residents on outings and picnics and it needs to be equipped to take wheelchairs.”
Art will be for sale and is “first in, best dressed”, Sandy says.
“One of the works will be a compilation put together by a number of our residents with some help from a lifestyle team member.
“They’re being very secretive about it and it’s being unveiled at the preview event for artists, sponsors and board members on Thursday night.”
There will also be some attractive raffle prizes up for grabs as part of the show, and a cat-themed sales table including limited edition handmade toy cats and souvenir mugs.
The Ballarat Cat Lovers group, dedicated to finding good responsible homes for real cats, will be present during the show. Entry is $5 with children free.
Words & image: Eve Lamb

A living, breathing, creative arts hub in the heart of the CBD is further cementing Ballarat’s reputation as a Creative City.

The Ballarat Arts Incubator at 36 Camp Street was officially opened late last month, the culmination of years of work to establish a space for experimentation for the creative industry.

The Incubator includes rehearsal spaces for music, dedicated zones for young people, theatre development spaces for writing and workshopping, quiet zones for administration, and film studios for production.

With distinct studio spaces, the Incubator is home to five different organisations – each licensing the spaces and providing access to the public. The organisations include:

QCTV: the creators of LaNCE TV, Ballarat’s signature LGBTIQA+ weekly variety and talk show will be filming and producing from the Arts Incubator film studios. LaNCE TV is known as the show behind the career of Gabriella Labucci who is currently starring on Ru Paul’s Drag Race Downunder. The film studios will be available to book by community members and the private sector.  

Outlet Productions: offering a much-needed rehearsal space and music workshop, Outlet has been recently founded by musicians Sarah Spaven and Zerene Jaadwa Webster. The space will be bookable by those looking to become performance ready.

The Rat Lab: developing new theatre and performance works, The Rat Lab is a project initiated by Emma Mary Hall. Currently offering workshops and networking, as well as a dedicated writing room. The space is bookable for workshop and rehearsal.  

Ballarat Evolve: delivering successful activations of underutilised commercial spaces across the city, Ballarat Evolve will now use an office space to interview candidates and run mentoring, as well as providing support spaces for the Ballarat Arts Foundation.  

Youth Services: the City of Ballarat Youth Services team are accessing much-needed safe spaces for young people. Open to public access, young people are encouraged to join programs and take part in creative initiatives.  

Creative Victoria contributed $75,000 to the project in 2020, with the City of Ballarat’s Creative City team gradually establishing the facility in recent years.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the Arts Incubator was born out of a need to build Ballarat’s arts and culture infrastructure.

“As the arts and cultural sector in Ballarat matures, there is a clear need for the City of Ballarat to adapt its role in line with global and local trends,” he said.

“In order to invest in these creative thinkers, we need to provide the infrastructure to allow them to thrive.

“Having a dedicated space will clearly benefit not only the creative people and groups, but also the entire city.

“We have seen the data that shows how quickly the arts sector is growing and facilities like this will allow that growth to continue.”

Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison MP said she was excited to see the work produce by local creatives out of the facility.

“The Andrews Labor Government is proud to support The Ballarat Arts Incubator in Camp Street,” she said.

“Through our $75,000 grant the Ballarat Arts Incubator will provide spaces and opportunities for creatives to produce new work. Further, it will inspire others and continue to strengthen the already diverse and vibrant artistic fabric of our community”.

The City of Ballarat Creative City Strategy 2019-2030 outlines a goal to achieve 3,000 jobs in creative industries (excluding arts and culture) by 2030, with the Arts Incubator to play a major role in reaching that target.

According to the 2021 Census there are currently 1,245 full time creative industries jobs in Ballarat, and many more micro-enterprises and sole traders.

The development of the Arts Incubator also closely aligns Objective 5.7 of the Council Plan 2021-2025: Facilitate the growth of the creative sector and actively promote Ballarat as a Creative City.

The Arts Incubator is open to the public and further information can be found at the Creative Ballarat website. 

Much-loved Melbourne singer-songwriter Liz Stringer caps off a busy year with her First Time…For The Last Time solo tour – and it’s headed to The Palais, Hepburn.

The acclaimed blues-roots artist plays the Palais, Friday evening, October 6.

Having achieved her first entry into the ARIA Top 20 and an AIR Award for Best Blues & Roots album in 2021, Liz spent most of 2022 with Midnight Oil, working as their backing vocalist and support act in Australia and around the world on their Resist tour.

Then, in February 2023, she and fellow Oils guest William Crighton released a cover of the Oils’ “Golden Age”, featuring Jim Moginie on bass and Rob Hirst on drums, following which they toured as a duo. In March, Liz was Port Fairy Folk Festival’s 2023 Artist of the Year and she performed two triumphant sets at the iconic festival with her band.

In May, after four From Brunswick to Brixton solo shows in Melbourne, she headed to London to record her new album and play a handful of shows.

Liz’s First Time…For The Last Time tour will see the artist bring an end to the long cycle of work that began in with the release of the album in the midst of COVID lockdowns. It’s a case of unfinished business, as the tour will finally reach the places that she couldn’t get to in 2021, thanks to state border closures and the like.

All the shows will follow the intimate format of her From Brunswick to Brixton shows; Liz will perform her songs completely solo, giving audiences a real insight into how they were written and how they sounded before she presented them to her band.

This is a rare chance to see one of Australia’s greatest contemporary singer-songwriters in an intimate solo setting and the last chance to revisit her most successful and acclaimed album to date before she introduces her new material.

Biketober is coming to Ballarat – a fun, free and friendly biking challenge for the entire community to take part in throughout the month of October.  

Biketober is the state’s biggest bike challenge. Riders who hop on their bikes and encourage others to do the same throughout October have the chance of winning amazing prizes.  

To take part, all you have to do is register at www.lovetoride.net and get pedaling. You can ride to work, for leisure, for exercise, with friends and family, any way you wish to ride.  

The initiative is for everyone, especially non-riders. It’s a great chance to try it out and join up with an experienced rider to enjoy an active mode of transport.  

You’ll earn points for each day and kilometre you ride, as well as every person you encourage. Those points will turn into entries into the prize draws!

Biketober is an initiative run by Love to Ride and supported by local councils across Victoria. Love to Ride has 557,210 participants, which includes 129,236 non-cyclists, and counting.  

As a Ballarat resident, registration is simple and free. Follow the instructions at www.lovetoride.net to fill in your details and link your profile to your workplace or club. Anyone aged 13 years and over can participate for free.

When you register and sign up with a workplace or club, you receive a free first year of RACV bike-assist, to ensure you won’t be left on the side of the road if you can’t ride.  

Biketober aligns with the City of Ballarat’s Cycling Action Plan 2017 – 2025 which seeks to help transform Ballarat into one of the great cycling cities. This program specifically supports two goals of the plan:  

change travel behaviour to increase bike riding, particularly focusing on those groups not currently cycling to help build an everyday bike riding culture in Ballarat so that it is seen as a legitimate use of the road with mutual respect between riders and drivers. 

Ballarat is becoming increasingly bike friendly with recent openings of major new separated bike paths on the Canadian Creek Trail, Sturt Street and Learmonth Road towards Miners Rest.  

Works on further infrastructure will commence this financial year with an additional separated trail along Sutton Street (linking Victoria Park to Doug Dean Reserve), while consultation has recently closed on a new link along the Glenelg Highway and early scoping is underway for a range of other linkages across the city.  

Spring is the perfect time in Ballarat to get back on the bike and explore.

City of Ballarat Councillor, Belinda Coates said riding a bike is a great way to get from A to B, or simply for enjoyment.  

“Communities with high levels of bike riding are healthier, more connected, consume less energy, produce less emissions and experience less congestion on the roads than those with low levels of bike riding,” she said.  

“Nothing compares to the simple joy of riding a bike at any age. I ride my bike most days to get from A to B, work commitments or the shops. I also enjoy getting out in nature and cycling the recreational track and trails. I often ride along the Yarrowee River trail, Specimen Vale and Canadian Creek trails.”

For those unsure or nervous about Biketober a try, check out the Ride Ballarat section of the Visit Ballarat website for some great off-road and completely separated routes. 

The City of Ballarat’s Grant Finder is a free search directory, listing a wide-range of grant and funding opportunities for local businesses, community groups, not-for-profits, and individuals.

There are more than 1,400 programs with more than $62.9 billion of grants available.  

The Grant Finder allows a user to search and find grants and to filter grants by location, industry and project type.  

The database has been tailored for the wider Ballarat area with a focus on funding for regional areas as well as State and Federal Government opportunities.  

Grants open, close, and requirements change regularly.  

Registering on the City of Ballarat’s Grant Finder means you don’t have to keep coming back to search, an email will alert you.  

Registering on Grant Finder also allows you to:  

• Create a shortlist of grant opportunities in the favourites tab.  
• Assign priorities to grants.  
• Stay on track of opening and closing dates with the inbuilt calendar.  
• Organise the grants by application stage.  
• Keep up to date when your favourites are updated.   

The Grant Finder directory also has advice and tips for finding and applying for grants to maximise your chances of receiving the funding you need.  

There are video tutorials available on the City of Ballarat website and guides to assist.  

City of Ballarat Councillor, Cr Amy Johnson said it’s fantastic to be able to assist local businesses and groups to stay informed of funding opportunities.

“These are volunteers that offer their time directly to help others and be a part of a community group, those that I speak to find the arduous task of applying for grants a real distraction from their community work,” she said.  

“Community organisations are volunteer run, so tools like Grant Finder can make the task of applying for funding easier and simpler for these groups to make sure they don’t miss out on any funding opportunities.  

“Community groups provide a range of benefits to Ballarat, delivering programs, events and services, so as a Council it is important to offer a service that can help local groups access funding.”  

The City of Ballarat’s Grant Finder provides a consistent, streamlined approach for community groups and organisations seeking funding for programs, events, products and services that bring a wide range of benefits to Ballarat.  

Visit the Grant Finder here. 

A temporary burn-off exemption will be introduced throughout October across the Macedon Ranges Shire to help landowners prepare their properties ahead of the upcoming fire season.

In consultation with local CFA brigades, the Macedon Ranges Shire Council will allow registered open-air burns on land 4,000 square metres or less without a permit for the month of October, giving landowners ample time to clear their property and minimise fire risk before the official Fire Danger Period starts.

CEO Bernie O’Sullivan encouraged landowners and residents to take advantage of the October exemption, to better protect their own properties and the shire more broadly in the event of a fire.

“It is vital that we all work together to avoid complacency and prepare as best we can amid an often unpredictable, ever-changing climate. Council officers will be continuing our annual program of targeted mowing, slashing and roadside weed management as the weather starts to warm up,” he said.

Property preparations ahead of the fire season should include slashing grass, removing any fine fuels, rubbish or materials likely to cause, maintain or promote a fire, storing flammable liquids and materials away from the house, cleaning gutters and removing noxious weeds.

To assist residents with cleaning up their properties, green waste disposal is free at council resource recovery facilities for ratepayers and tenants in the Macedon Ranges. Residents are also encouraged to make use of their FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) bin, which is collected weekly.

If burning off, landowners or residents must monitor weather conditions before starting any fire and must register their burn. They are also encouraged to:

• check carefully for any wildlife that may have taken up residency in bonfire piles
• consider and minimise the impact on neighbours
• ensure sufficient fire suppression equipment is on site
• closely monitor burn-offs for at least seven days, to ensure they are fully extinguished.

From 1 November, burning-off restrictions will revert back to the requirements under the Local Law 2023, whereby burning in the open air will be prohibited on land 2,000 square metres or less, and a permit from the council’s fire prevention officers will be required for burning off on land more than 2,000 square metres and equal to or less than 4,000 square metres.

To recognise International Day of People with Disability the Macedon Ranges Shire Council will be holding a “Showcasing Inclusion” photo competition and is inviting the community to submit photos that show inclusivity in daily life.

The competition is open to everyone. You don’t need to be an expert photographer to enter and casual shots from your phone are very welcome.

Competition categories will focus on different aspects of life such as education and employment, the arts, sport and recreation. There will also be a category for photographers who identify as a person with disability and for photographers under 16 years old.

Prizes will be awarded for each category and for the photo selected by judges as the most outstanding illustration of ‘This is what inclusion means to me’.

The competition closes on 29 October, with a presentation event on 29 November, leading into IDPwD, celebrated on 3 December. A travelling exhibition will follow for the community to view entries, which will also be displayed online.

Submit your photos at International Day of People with Disability or call 5422 0333.

A City of Ballarat strategic partnership with non-profit Runway has empowered local businesses to do good in the community.  

Earlier this year, several local business owners participated in Runway’s program ‘Get READY, Get SET, GROW’. The program is designed for existing businesses that need assistance with getting to the heart of customer problems and exploring opportunities to address those problems.  

The City of Ballarat’s Strategic Partnership with Runway to deliver the program was designed to foster community wealth building — a term that refers to a community’s ability to generate its own wealth for the benefit of everyone in the community.

Some participating business owners, such as Adam Slater from Zero Plastics Australia, are aiming for their businesses to function like social enterprises — a business that does good in the community beyond generating a profit.

Zero Plastics Australia transforms old milk lids into new products to divert them from landfill, while also operating programs to educate students on the impact of plastic on the natural environment.  

With a science background, the work of repurposing milk lids was fairly straightforward for Adam. Operating a business, however, was new territory. After learning about Runway’s ‘Get READY, Get SET, GROW’, Adam signed up.

“I’ve learned so much from the program and it’s changed my approach to a number of things,” he said.

Runway Managing Director Linda Wong said the ‘Get READY, Get SET, GROW’ program was specifically designed to support existing businesses to explore opportunities for growth and improvement.

“It not only provides a theoretical learning opportunity, but also the cohort itself comes together and shares their experiences and supports each other, because they’re all in that same boat,” she says.

The program is delivered over three stages, with each stage building on the outcomes of the previous stage.

A City of Ballarat strategic partnership with non-profit Runway has empowered local businesses to do good in the community.  

Earlier this year, several local business owners participated in Runway’s program ‘Get READY, Get SET, GROW’. The program is designed for existing businesses that need assistance with getting to the heart of customer problems and exploring opportunities to address those problems.  

The City of Ballarat’s Strategic Partnership with Runway to deliver the program was designed to foster community wealth building — a term that refers to a community’s ability to generate its own wealth for the benefit of everyone in the community.

Some participating business owners, such as Adam Slater from Zero Plastics Australia, are aiming for their businesses to function like social enterprises — a business that does good in the community beyond generating a profit.

Zero Plastics Australia transforms old milk lids into new products to divert them from landfill, while also operating programs to educate students on the impact of plastic on the natural environment.  

With a science background, the work of repurposing milk lids was fairly straightforward for Adam. Operating a business, however, was new territory. After learning about Runway’s ‘Get READY, Get SET, GROW’, Adam signed up.

“I’ve learned so much from the program and it’s changed my approach to a number of things,” he said.

Runway Managing Director Linda Wong said the ‘Get READY, Get SET, GROW’ program was specifically designed to support existing businesses to explore opportunities for growth and improvement.

“It not only provides a theoretical learning opportunity, but also the cohort itself comes together and shares their experiences and supports each other, because they’re all in that same boat,” she says.

The program is delivered over three stages, with each stage building on the outcomes of the previous stage.

The City of Ballarat Strategic Partnership Grant Program provides funding to organisations or businesses to deliver initiatives that meet Council’s strategic objectives outlined in the Council Plan, Health and Wellbeing Plan and other relevant plans and strategies that have been endorsed by Council.

The Strategic Grant Program is not designed to provide funding to partners beyond the life of the funding agreement. As such, the City of Ballarat’s strategic partnership with Runway has now ended.  

The City of Ballarat Strategic Partnership Grant Program provides funding to organisations or businesses to deliver initiatives that meet the council’s strategic objectives outlined in the council plan, Health and Wellbeing Plan and other relevant plans and strategies that have been endorsed by the council.

Agriculture Victoria’s Horsham SmartFarm recently provided local students hands-on experience of climate action research, with a focus on preserving important grains and plants for the future.

The visit was by a group of students who are currently studying Agricultural and Horticultural Science at Goroke P-12 College.

Their study delves into how new technology assists in the production and conservation of plants, including acknowledging the effects of climate change and how this can support farmers into the future.

Organised by Agriculture Victoria Senior Research Scientist, Ashley Wallace, the students toured the Horsham SmartFarm’s research and innovation facilities.

Students were taken to see the Free Air Temperature Extreme (FATE) facility, a set of computerised, custom-engineered trolleys mounted with infrared heaters.

‘The FATE project aims to help scientists better understand the impact of heatwaves on crops.

‘Heatwaves at critical times can cause major losses in grain production on farms’, Mr Wallace said.

He said the students also toured the Australian Grains Genebank.

‘Students were presented with the differences in crop varieties grown in Australia compared with other parts of the world and were shown how seeds are carefully preserved in the Genebank for plant breeders and future generations,’ Mr Wallace said.

Guided by Agriculture Victoria researchers, students took part in a demonstration on how researchers use high tech equipment to measure quality traits in grains in the crop quality laboratory.

Mr Wallace explained how this research studies the colour of lentil grain and the quality of dough and bread made from the flour of different wheat varieties and breeding lines.

To end the visit the students took a tour of the Digital Centre for Agriculture, where they saw modern technology that looks to increase the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Victorian grain growers.

Mr Wallace said the technology will be used by farmers in the future to better manage grain crops.

The students reported they are looking forward to applying the knowledge gained from the trip to their studies as they prepare to enter the final units of the subject in 2024.

Student Lucinda Smith said of the trip, ‘it was an exciting, educational and fun experience that I really enjoyed’.

Ballarat City Council is calling for community input on the future of public spaces in and arround Ballarat’s Barkly Square Gardens.

The city’s Barkly Square Gardens along with the adjoining Specimen Vale and Britannia Reserve have becoming increasingly popular community assets in the heart of the Ballarat East Civic Precinct.

In partnership with BGT Jobs + Training Ballarat, the City of Ballarat is developing an integrated landscape plan and a vision for the site. This can then facilitate a discussion around how the gardens and wider environment can be used in the future.

Community input is now being sought about the public spaces in the area, including the green spaces of Specimen Vale, Britannia Reserve and the Town Hall Gardens.  

A Conservation Management Plan has been developed for the area, which outlines the layers of history at the Barkly Street site.  

The plan covers the original mining landscape, through to the development of the Ballarat East Town Hall, the subsequent demolition and construction of school buildings and gardens.

Now the community is being asked to help shape the plan and vision for the area, including how the gardens and open space can be used into the future.  

BGT Jobs + Training Ballarat is hosting a drop-in session to see the concept plans and hear stories from community members about what this space means to them.  

The plans were launched at The Atrium, next to the Barkly Square Café by 1816 Bakehouse on 20 September.  

Now any community interested is invited to view the plans and provide their feedback. The plans will continue to be displayed at Barkly Square until 11 October.

The concept plans show opportunities to have a sensory garden, multipurpose open space, a Chinese garden, walkways, play space, outdoor training spaces, courtyards and an urban food farm.

City of Ballarat Councillor, Belinda Coates said the gardens surrounding Barkly Square are a beautiful asset to Ballarat.  

“To be able to hear from the community about what this diverse open space means to them, will allow us to plan for the area to cater to all,” she said.  

“The area is a thriving community hub, and the gardens and open space should reflect that.”

Operations Manager, Emma Hart from BGT Jobs + Training Ballarat said the proposed plans show a development of the gardens which will offer something to a wide variety of the community.  

“The gardens are a hidden gem, and this is a chance to re-establish a new community destination whilst celebrating the history of the gardens and providing a space for reflection and connection.”  

Ballarat East Town Hall Revitilisation Group Representative, Valdi Cham said the gardens were established in 1865 and originally had one curator and five gardeners maintaining the site.

“Currently there are nine volunteers who work in the garden sporadically. Over the past 12 months the volunteers have contributed more than 600 hours to working within the garden,” she said.

“Partnerships have been formed with Federation University Horticultural students and students from St Alipius Primary School.  

“Since the groups have undertaken work in the gardens more members of the community appear to be using and enjoying the gardens on a regular basis.”  

Barkly Square is home to BGT Jobs + Training Ballarat, who sub-let several of the spaces to local groups such as the Men’s Shed, Wholefood Collective, Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council, the Toy Library and many more.  

Barkly Square is now a well-used and thriving community hub, and BGT maintains the gardens and wider grounds with the help of a dedicated group of volunteers. 

The City of Ballarat will participate in an exciting new project to develop an investment-ready business case for a community battery in the municipality.

The Regional Greenhouse Alliance Neighbourhood Battery Investigation Project was one of nine projects to be awarded funding through the Victorian Government’s Neighbourhood Battery Initiative.

The project, led by the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, Goulburn Murray Climate Alliance, and Gippsland Alliance for Climate Action, in partnership with Indigo Power, will develop the business case for a single community battery site in Ballarat and 17 other local government areas across regional Victoria.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said as a member of the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, Ballarat will be a key partner in the project.

“This initiative aligns with our Carbon Neutrality and 100% Renewables Action Plan to achieve carbon neutrality within our organisation by 2025,” he said.

“It will also support the Ballarat Net Zero Emissions Plan as communities are exploring how they can accelerate the uptake of local renewable energy technologies to reduce emissions enhance and enhance community energy resilience.”

Community batteries are an energy storage model with the potential to provide many benefits to consumers, communities and the electricity system. The batteries enable the network to support more rooftop solar by storing solar-generated electricity during the day and discharging it during the evenings when demand is highest.

This allows consumers to generate and consume more renewable energy locally and supports Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy targets.

Chief Executive Officer of the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance Annika Kearton is delighted to be working with 18 councils across regional Victoria on this exciting project.

“The project will plan community batteries at sites servicing a high value community need, such as emergency shelters, places of last resort, and other critical community facilities, with a focus on exploring how to maximise benefits at different community sites,” she said.

Phase two of the City of Ballarat’s LED residential street lighting upgrade is complete, with almost 850 heritage style street lights receiving new fittings.

Switching street lighting to LED (light emitting diode) is a flagship of the City of Ballarat’s Carbon Neutrality and 100% Renewables Action Plan, with the completion of phase two bringing the total number of street lights that have received the upgrade along Ballarat’s minor roads and residential streets to 7,400.

The old mercury vapour lighting is no longer supported in Australia and only had a four-year life expectancy compared with 20 years for the new LED lights. LED lighting is between 80 and 85 percent more energy efficient than the old lighting and is expected to save the City of Ballarat more than $10 million over the next 20 years.  

City of Ballarat Councillor, Ben Taylor said LED is more reliable, lower maintenance and most importantly better for the environment.

“The new LED lights will save more than 40,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years — the equivalent to taking 9,300 fossil fuelled cars off the road,” he said.

“LED is superior at delivering light along and across the street, resulting in improved compliance and less light spill to neighbouring areas and the atmosphere.

“At the City of Ballarat, we are committed to leading the way in sustainability, continuously seeking ways to actively reduce our impact on the environment, as well as working towards a circular economy. With that in mind, most of the materials from the old lights will be recycled into various new products.”

The $1.5 million replacement program demonstrates that the City of Ballarat is committed to delivering a better Ballarat and is line with Goal 1 of the Council Plan 2021-2025: an environmentally sustainable future.

The City of Ballarat shares responsibility with Department of Transport and Planning for almost 2,500 existing lights on main roads throughout the municipality that are yet to be converted to LED. Planning will kick off soon for this program of replacement works. 

Ballarat’s parking system will remain unchanged following a community survey earlier this year.

In April this year the Ballarat community was asked what they thought of the city’s public spaces and car parking.  

The City of Ballarat heard from more than 370 respondents, including 27 businesses, about how car parking and outdoor activation impact them.

The survey asked questions such as, would the community support an extension of parking to 7pm to assist businesses to free up car parking near their venue for customers. It also probed how community members travel into the CBD and where they would like to park.

The feedback received provided the City of Ballarat with clarity on the future use of the city’s central public spaces. Based on the results of the survey it was determined that Ballarat’s parking system will remain unchanged.

The survey results indicate many users believe the current parking system is working well for them.  

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said it’s great to be able to check in with the community and confirm that the system is working.  

“Parking is always a hot topic in Ballarat, and we thank the community for responding and letting us know what is working well, and what isn’t,” he said.    

The results from the survey also showed that people using the CBD car parks are mainly doing so for retail purposes followed by hospitality.  

Data collated by the City of Ballarat parking team indicated that between the hours of 9am and 5.30pm, 80 per cent of cars that are parked in the CBD stay for less than an hour, utilising the first-hour-free metered structure.

The data also indicated car parks on the North side of Sturt Street are more frequently occupied compared with the South side.

Out of the 69 available bays in the Armstrong Street North area, approximately two of these are occupied for more than three hours on any given day.  

The high turnover in this parking area indicates people are using the car spaces to pop in and out of the hospitality and retail venues, while those wishing to linger longer during the day are parking a block or two away.  

It also showed that the community largely thinks outdoor dining is effective in the city, with more than 60 per cent of respondents saying they were happy with the outdoor activations.  

“Now that the beautiful Spring weather is starting to emerge, it’s a great time to dine and socialise outdoors, with a wide range of outdoor dining spaces in the CBD for our residents and visitors to enjoy,” Cr Hudson said.  

New outdoor activation spaces that have been recently constructed include: 

• Dining area at Sturt Street east.
• Dining area at the 400 block of Sturt Street.  
• Extended outdoor dining area at McKenzie Street.  
• Extended outdoor dining areas on Armstrong Street North.  
• Glass wind protection barriers and umbrella sockets in more than 80 venues across Ballarat.

The new outdoor activation at Alfred Deakin Place has already seen community members being able to gather and utilise the large screen to cheer on the Matildas at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The large screen and exhibition panels are now being used as part of the Foto Biennale, allowing people to enjoy some of the Art Gallery’s offerings outside.  

The CFA has produced a new version of its renewable energy guidelines – the first of its kind in the world.

These guidelines are standards that support planning authorities, designers and operators of renewable energy facilities in relation to bushfire risk and fire safety.

CFA was recently invited to present on these guidelines in Seattle, Washington.

Specialist Risk and Fire Safety Manager Matthew Allen presented at the third Asia-Pacific Economies Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials Meeting, focusing on Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) codes and regulation development.

“CFA developed the first renewable energy guideline back in 2019 because of a rising level of risk associated with renewable energy facilities,” Matthew said.

“From 2019 the document has been updated in line with the industry’s rapid development into the Australian market.

“With the updates came interest from overseas, and the guideline were being spoken about at an international level as the first comprehensive guideline from a fire service that looked at this risk. Since then, other states and territories in Australia have taken our guideline and adapted them to their needs.”

Matthew said he was humbled to have been invited to speak at the conference, and learned a lot about what other countries within APEC and the world are doing in the BESS space.

“All countries that participated in the workshop have varying levels of regulations and standards associated with BESS.

“APEC economies are lucky to have a number of organisations that are undertaking testing of products and research into BESS, so that we can ensure safety to the communities that surround these systems and the fire responders attending these facilities.”

Matthew said attending the conference was incredibly valuable, and while he learned a lot, he hopes others learned from his presentation as well.

“I was able to show why the CFA guideline was developed and the influence this is having on the industry in Victoria. I presented to the group that our guideline provides standard considerations and measures for fire safety, risk and emergency management to be considered when designing, constructing and operating renewable energy facilities.

“After the presentation, I spoke to a number of APEC economies interested in our guideline and wanting me to provide some support to enable the use of our guideline.”

The new guidelines will incorporate a number of changes including the inclusion of the Australian Fire Danger Rating System, new and emerging risks within the industry, changes to model requirements to contemporise the document and more.

The guideline was released on August 31 and more information can be found on the CFA’s website.