While there was a general consensus that the railway precinct as a prime Ballarat CBD block was sadly neglected, the announcement last November of multimillion dollar overhaul ran quickly into some serious problems. First up was the perception the partnership with a private developer to overhaul the derelict goods shed was done at the expense of the primary function of the precinct as a modern transport hub.  The conspicuous absence from the plan was the critical bus hub, to accommodate both increasingly important urban buses as a link to trains and the connections to the whole region of which Ballarat is capital. Despite being outlined in the original council plan and the State Government’s draft, the impression this created was transport was an afterthought. This was a red rag to anti-privatisation and heritage fears alike. To make matters worse in a spectacular mistiming, PTV launched its new bus plan simultaneously.  The seemingly logical terminus for buses - the railway station in the heart of the CBD - was suddenly overwhelmed by the arrival a flood of buses in Lydiard Street, confusing and enraging both commuters and residents alike. Change is always hard but the exacerbating factor here was the belief that this new intrusion was permanent because the same bus hub remained in the ‘never-never’ of the unfunded stage of the whole precinct. 

To Ballarat’s relief, the State Government has used the familiar budget previews as a safety valve to defuse some of this issue. While these budget drops are often framed in the form of early Christmas presents, this one takes on more the form of a concession to attempt to reassure the Ballarat public that at least the State Government has its priorities back in order.

Many questions remain and the devil may yet be in the detail. This goes particularly for access issues between bus hub and platforms (especially for the disabled) along with the efficient ingress and exit of so many buses. But if these issues are solved it may even help part of the ongoing problem of adequate parking, as people are prompted to seek better transport alternatives.

But that is a battle for another day,. At least for now for Ballarat public transport there is hope ahead.