Samantha McIntosh
CARS could be returned to the Bridge Mall shopping precinct under a new plan set to be considered by the City of Ballarat Council.
North Ward Councillor Samantha McIntosh will use Wednesday’s council meeting to put forward a motion calling for a community consultation process on the long-standing and contentious issue facing Ballarat’s retail sector.
“My motion is to strengthen the CBD by encouraging people into and through the CBD, rather than around it,” she said yesterday.
“We need to ensure that we get the right mix of shopping centres and shopping experiences and I want the community to join us in considering how we bring back the vibrancy of the CBD and restoring the Bridge Mall precinct to its former glory.”
The motion calls for a report to be presented to councillors by September this year as well as for planning processes to commence for the adjacent Coles and Safeway car park, considered as a potential major redevelopment site.
Cr McIntosh said the issue of traffic in the Bridge Mall dated back many years and had the potential to be a controversial decision for the City of Ballarat.
She said the council would consider the views of stakeholders including traders and shoppers before making its final decision.