Scott Hebbard
MINERS Rest desperately needs more facilities, according to Ballarat City Council candidate Scott Hebbard.
Mr Hebbard, who lives in the town, said there was no kindergarten, sporting facilities, maternal and child health centre or even a doctor.
“There’s no footy oval, no netball facilities. There’s no capacity to do anything here,” Mr Hebbard said.
“The school is the only facility that has any sporting capability.”
Ballarat City Council will hold a Miners Rest Planning Day on Saturday, October 6, from 10am until 6pm at the Miners Rest Primary School to develop a town planning framework.
In a letter to residents, the council’s community development manager Pete Appleton said short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions would be considered.
Possibilities include new signage, library services, tree planting, better parking zones, new early childhood services, community hall future uses, flood mitigation, a student crossing overpass, proper town centre planning and improving community and sport and recreation facilities, as well as traffic systems.
But Mr Hebbard said he wanted timeframes put in place to enforce actions.
“We’ve got 4000 residents at the moment and that number is only going to go up.
“Developments at the airport and the Ballarat West Growth Zone are only going to increase the pressures.”
Mr Hebbard said he currently had a half-hour round trip to take one child to kindergarten in Wendouree and the other back to Miners Rest Primary School.
“Because one starts at 8.30am and the other at 9am, one of them is going to be late.”
The school will also grow by an extra 30 pupils next year.
“It’s grown from about 150 several years ago to 215 next year.
“There’s a lot of young families here and there’s more at Macarthur Park and Sunraysia Heights.”
Mr Hebbard said the controversial Ballarat West Development Contributions Plan would ensure proper infrastructure was built in the new western suburbs, like Lucas.
“But that’s not helping us here.”