Buninyong residents and businesses will have the chance to discuss the future of their town with a top Australian planning expert on June 13 and 14.
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Bank of Ideas director Peter Kenyon will meet with residents at 7.30pm on June 13, and then businesses from 7.30am the next day.
It is part of the Imagine Buninyong community project to help map the future direction of the town.
This includes allowing for the increase in truck traffic over the past decade, and the expected increase when the full Ballarat West Link Road is finished.
A bypass to either the west or east of the town has been raised with Ballarat City Council, the state government and VicRoads in the past.
Buninyong and District Community Association president Linda Zibell said no planning had yet been developed for the town’s future, including its road network.
“One of the key things is the fact Buninyong is built on the roundabout at its centre, and the Midland Highway straight through it, was really the beginning of the road network,” she said.
“So it is designed as a crossing point for Victoria and now we are finding so many trucks are passing through and no planning is in place to divert trucks around.
“That is just an idea, and we can see it is complex, but if people don’t entertain the idea of planning how are there going to be possibilities to have it drawn up?”
Ballarat City South Ward Cr Ben Taylor said council was pushing hard for VicRoads to start thinking about how to change traffic in Buninyong.
“Works have been done on the roundabout after about three years ago a truck went straight through it,” he said,
“We have to keep putting the pressure back on.”
The meeting with Mr Kenyon at Buninyong Town Hall will examine asset based community development processes to help build on strong communities.
Council’s 2017-21 plan included the development of township plans for Buninyong.
Ms Zibell said Mr Kenyon’s inspirational talks would help explain the best practices for community building, so residents can make a significant contribution to the Buninyong planning process.
“We want to get people enthusiastic about this planning process and really buying into actively participating rather than just being clients of council,” she said.
“What are the things people would like to see for the future of Buninyong, is it about environmental sustainability, is it about social consciousness, it is about roads and parks and all that sort of stuff.”
The sessions on June 13 and 14 are free for residents and Buninyong business owners.
